Just as Easy by Ruth Collie (1928)
"Just as Easy" is a short inspirational poem by Ruth Collie built entirely on a rhetorical strategy of paired opposites, arguing that virtuous or positive states of being require no more effort than their negative counterparts. The poem opens by asserting that praise is no harder than scorn, love no harder than hate, and singing no harder than mourning, establishing a pattern of comparison that runs throughout the piece. Collie systematically works through a series of contrasting behaviors and emotional states: standing versus leaning, lifting versus pulling down, generosity versus meanness, gladness versus sorrow, trust versus doubt, courage versus fear. In each pairing, she insists that the more admirable or constructive option is not more difficult to choose than its opposite — it is simply a matter of choice. The poem's central claim is that happiness, kindness, and courage are not achievements requiring special effort or sacrifice, but are equally accessible alternatives to sadness, meanness, and fear, waiting only on the will to select them. The poem also frames struggle and hardship metaphorically, describing "foes" that can be routed with the weapons of "Good Sense and Cheer," suggesting that life's adversities are best met with practical optimism rather than despair. Gulfs, she writes, are not meant to be dreaded but spanned, reinforcing the idea that obstacles are opportunities for action rather than causes for retreat. The closing lines turn to the theme of generosity and human connection, contrasting the ease of giving with the harder path of withholding help from a friend, and aiding another versus later feeling regret for having failed to do so. The poem ends on a note of quiet reward, suggesting that a day spent in kindness and giving concludes more sweetly than one spent in withholding or self-interest. Formally, the poem relies on brisk, tightly rhymed quatrains and a insistent, almost incantatory repetition of the phrase "no harder" and "as easy," which functions both as its title's thesis and its rhythmic backbone. This repetition gives the poem a didactic, proverb-like quality, akin to a piece of folk wisdom or a motivational verse meant to be memorized and recited. The tone throughout is light, encouraging, and plainspoken rather than lyrical or ornate, aligning it with popular inspirational verse of its era rather than literary or modernist poetry. Thematically, the poem's argument rests on a psychological reframing: it denies that virtue is inherently costly or that happiness must be earned through struggle, instead presenting positive choices as equally available options at every fork where a negative choice might otherwise be made. In this sense, the poem functions as a piece of practical moral encouragement, urging the reader toward cheerfulness, generosity, and courage not through appeals to duty or reward in any grand sense, but through the simple observation that these are no harder to enact than their opposites — and therefore there is no good excuse for choosing otherwise. The poem closes its brief scope having made its case entirely through this accumulating structure of paired contrasts, culminating in the assurance that the sweeter outcome awaits those who choose giving over withholding.
By Ruth Collie · First published 1928 · Genre: Poetry, Inspirational/Motivational Literature, Philosophical Poetry · 225 words
First lines
No harder to praise than to scorn, no harder to love than to hate; no / harder to sing than to mourn, as easy to act as to wait. No harder / to smile than to frown. It's as easy to stand as to lean, as easy to / lift as pull down, to be generous rather than mean. It's not very / hard to be glad, it's not very hard to rejoice, it's harder indeed to / be sad. Let happiness then be our choice. No harder to trust than / to doubt, and courage is easy as fear, and foes are quite easy to / rout with weapons of Good Sense and Cheer. No harder to sing than to / cry, as easy to do as to plan; no harder to laugh than to sigh, and / gulfs aren't to dread but to span. And giving is easier, too, than / withholding your hand from a friend; no harder to aid than to / rue -- and sweeter the day at the end.
What this Textopian page supports
Just as Easy is listed on Textopian as a poem by Ruth Collie, dated 1928 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Ruth Collie
- Date: 1928 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Inspirational/Motivational Literature, Philosophical Poetry, Didactic Poetry, Wisdom Literature
- Length: 225 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Just as Easy by Ruth Collie
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Poetry — Written in structured rhyming verse with consistent rhythmic patterns and poetic devices throughout.
- Inspirational/Motivational Literature — Core purpose is to inspire readers to choose positive actions and virtuous living by asserting that goodness is as attainable as selfishness.
- Philosophical Poetry — Explores fundamental questions about moral choice, virtue, happiness, and human agency through systematic contrasts.
- Didactic Poetry — Serves an instructional and pedagogical purpose, teaching readers about ethical living through repeated examples and moral lessons.
Tags
optimism · moral-choices · poetry · inspirational · verse · positive-thinking · everyday-wisdom · generosity · resilience · ethics · self-improvement · motivational