"Life's Scars" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

They say the world is round,
and yet I often think it square,
So many little hurts we get
From corners here and there.
But one great truth in life I've found,
While journeying to the West-
The only folks who really wound
Are those we love the best.

The man you thoroughly despise
Can rouse your wrath, 'tis true;
Annoyance in your heart will rise
At things mere strangers do;
But those are only passing ills;
This rule all lives will prove;
The rankling wound which aches and thrills
Is dealt by hands we love.

The choicest garb, the sweetest grace,
Are oft to strangers shown;
The careless mien, the frowning face,
Are given to our own.
We flatter those we scarcely know,
We please the fleeting guest,
And deal full many a thoughtless blow
To those who love us best.

Love does not grow on every tree,
Nor true hearts yearly bloom.
Alas for those who only see
This cut across a tomb!
But, soon or late, the fact grows plain
To all through sorrow's test:
The only folks who give us pain
Are those we love the best.


I would like to start out my blog by informing all who read the poem that "rankling" means to cause irritation, "oft" means often, and "mien" means demeanor. Now to briefly rephrase the poem by stanza:

So many little pains come from so many places, but one thing I've learned is that the people who you love the most are the one's who hurt you the most.

Although people you hate can cause you pain, the pain they cause is nothing compared to the the ache caused by people you love.

People you don't know that well are often credited with being good and us being good to them, yet we're mean to people we love the most.

Love is very rare, and sooner or later one will learn that the only people who cause true pain are those who we love.

The basic meaning of the poem is that although other people can cause us pain, true pain comes from the people we care for and love the most. And this fact is made clear through the phrase "Are those we love the most" stated in the first and last stanzas. I believe that the tone of Wilcox's poem was very negative. With the choice of words such as "hurts," "wrath," "frowning," "sorrow," and many more the mood created is depressing. Everything about the poem is depressing. For goodness sakes it's saying that the people you love hurt you the most! Talk about a downer...
With all the negative vibes surrounding this poem one might wonder why I chose this as a poem I like. Well, while I was searching the internet this one caught my eye because firstly it rhymed, secondly it made sense, and most importantly it had a clear message. Even though the message was downbeat is was apparent as to what it was, and very true in my opinion. One comes to expect good things from those they love, so when those people do even the slightest hurtful thing then it hurts much more than if that same thing was done by one's enemy.