Patience, A Virtue All of us Need

"Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience" A quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is said that patience is a virtue. I guess I am not a very virtuous person. No one I have ever known would “accuse me” of being a patient individual. Of course, patience is a complicated issue and one that will be explored in later posts.

"Patience," by Edith Wharton

PATIENCE and I have traveled hand in hand
So many days that I have grown to trace
The lines of sad, sweet beauty in her face,
And all its veiled depths to understand.

Not beautiful is she to eyes profane;
Silent and unrevealed her holy charms;
But, like a mother's, her serene, strong arms
Uphold my footsteps on the path of pain.

I long to cry, -- her soft voice whispers, "Nay!"
I seek to fly, but she restrains my feet;
In wisdom stern, yet in compassion sweet,
She guides my helpless wanderings day by day.

O my Beloved, life's golden visions fade,
And one by one life's phantom joys depart;
They leave a sudden darkness in the heart,
And patience fills their empty place instead."

A representation of Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton’s “Patience” is a poem that illuminates the profound and enduring bond between the poet and patience, a guiding and comforting force in her life. In this verse, Wharton personifies patience as a wise companion, a source of solace and insight during life’s trials.

Wharton personifies patience as someone she has known for a long time, traveling hand in hand with her through many days. This long acquaintance enabled her to see through the surface of patience and learn the “sad, sweet beauty” in its depths. To most people, patience may not appear beautiful or desirable, but to Wharton, who has spent so much time with it, patience reveals a more profound beauty.

Wharton delves into the concept, asserting that patience, though not beautiful, possesses a silent, sacred grace that is too refined for those who feel it. She compares patience to a mother’s comforting embrace, a source of solace and strength in times of pain.

Wharton says that she wants to cry out, but patience restrains her. Patience speaks yet with command; thus, she prevents Wharton from acting in despair or an impulse of some sort. She is said to be wise and compassionate, firm yet loving, leading Wharton by the hand so she can manage her troubles daily with no chance of losing her way.

She recalls one after the other the gloom of life’s massaging joys, the grief, and the passing of life’s “golden visions.” As buoyant times take leave, they leave emptiness and darkness in Wharton’s heart. But there is sure to be patience as a fill-in for this vacuum. Though life’s glories may be fleeting and passing, patience will continue to stand by, fill up that vacuum with its silent existence, and serve as a beacon light to give strength and stamina.

The poem represents patience as a strong yet tender being that enables her to get through the harshness of life. This ideal could be more attractive and comforting to most. Wharton learns the beauty of this ideal, though, and understands its value. She knows patience as wise and, always comforted and gives advice on the touchy issues of life. It turns out that her best friend teaches her to get through the difficult times of loss and unmet expectations that come.

I would be interested to know if my readers and fellow writers consider you to be patient or impatient.