Explore "Which Are You?" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
There are two kinds of people on earth to-day; / Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.
Not the sinner and saint, for it's well understood / The good are half bad, and the bad are half good.
Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man's wealth / You must first know the state of his conscience and health.
Not the humble and proud, for, in life's little span, / Who puts on vain airs is not counted a man.
Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years / Bring each man his laughter, and each man his tears.
No; the two kinds of people on earth I mean / Are the people who lift, and the people who lean.
Wherever you go, you will find the earth's masses / Are always divided in just these two classes.
And, oddly enough, you will find too, I ween, / There's only one lifter to twenty who lean.
In which class are you? Are you easing the load / Of overtaxed lifters, who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner, who lets others share / Your portion of labour and worry and care?