Our Blessings by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
"Our Blessings" is a reflective lyric poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox in which the speaker, warmed by sunlight and moved to contemplation, catalogs the abundant gifts God bestows upon the earth and argues that human ingratitude, not divine stinginess, is the source of human misery. The poem opens with the speaker sitting in sunshine that feels like a loving touch, prompting a mental inventory of the blessings scattered across the earth. These gifts prove so numerous that they far exceed what humanity deserves or requires; the only missing element, the speaker muses, is a host of angels to complete the transformation of earth into heaven. Each season is shown to carry its own particular gift: winter offers long, companionable evenings; spring delivers the promise of blossoms; summer fulfills that promise; and autumn arrives draped in golden abundance. The natural world hums with music, moonlight silvers the sea, and beauty presses in from every direction. Against this generosity, the poem sets the chronic dissatisfaction of mortals. People fixate on what they lack rather than what they possess, staring downward at the dust instead of upward at a star-filled sky. They drain the bitter cup while ignoring the sweet one waiting beside it. They lament the thorn on the rose and overlook its fragrance and color; they walk past a living garden to weep at a tomb. Blessings, the poem insists, are as numberless as forest leaves, and the failure to perceive them lies entirely with the receiver, not with the Giver. The poem's central moral is stated plainly and without sentimentality: if earth is not Eden, the fault is ours. Wilcox presents gratitude not as a pious nicety but as a perceptual correction — a deliberate reorientation of attention toward what is already present and abundant. The tone throughout is affirmative rather than scolding, grounded in the speaker's own experience of being briefly, genuinely moved by ordinary sunlight into recognizing how richly provisioned human life already is.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox · First published 1905 · Genre: Religious Poetry, Philosophical Poetry, Nature Poetry · 333 words
First lines
Sitting to-day in the sunshine, / That touched me with fingers of love, / I thought of the manifold blessings / God scatters on earth, from above; / And they seemed, as I numbered them over / Far more than we merit or need / And all that we lack is the angels / To make earth a heaven indeed.
The winter brings long, pleasant evenings, / The spring brings a promise of flowers / That summer breathes into fruition, / And autumn brings glad, golden hours. / The woodlands re-echo with music, / The moonbeams ensilver the sea; / There is sunlight and beauty about us, / And the world is as fair as can be.
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Our Blessings is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, dated 1905 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Date: 1905 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Religious Poetry, Philosophical Poetry, Nature Poetry, Lyrical Poetry, Didactic Poetry
- Length: 333 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for Our Blessings by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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Genres
- Religious Poetry — The poem is deeply rooted in Christian theology, explicitly referencing God's blessings, divine providence, angels, Eden, and 'the Giver,' with the central meditation on spiritual grace and faith.
- Philosophical Poetry — The work explores fundamental human nature and psychology, presenting a philosophical argument about perspective, contentment, and the tendency to focus on lack rather than abundance.
- Nature Poetry — Extensive natural imagery including seasons, flowers, woodlands, moonbeams, gardens, forests, and landscape elements are employed to convey spiritual and philosophical meaning.
- Lyrical Poetry — The poem expresses personal contemplation and emotion through regularized verse with consistent rhyme scheme, creating musical language and emotional resonance.
Tags
poetry · gratitude · inspiration · spirituality · optimism · love · nature · philosophy · personal growth · reflection · virtue · kindness