Theme of Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

Positive outlook towards life-

The note of positivity and encouragement remains predominant throughout

the whole poem. The poet inspires the readers to maintain a positive outlook
in even the harshest situations relating to career, love, business, loneliness,
unfulfilled dreams or the cruel traps on the world in general. It’s all on you how
you want to see the world. You want to criticize it for the cruelties it possesses
or you want to appreciate it for the beauty and joy that it spreads, is totally up
to you. One must remain on good terms with his fellow human beings and be
a good listener. This poem reminds us that we should treat others kindly and
affectionately and be gentle with ourselves. You can’t expect other people to
listen to you if you don’t listen to what they have to say. There is a vehement
stress on maintaining inner peace and stay calm in every situation. The poet
says that in order to live a happy and meaningful life one must learn to avoid
the negative people in their life and focus on a bright future ahead. The
concept that the Universe has a plan for every human being and that we all
contribute in some way or the other to the magnificence that this universe is,
significantly directs one to start believing. We all face hardships in life. It is an
inevitable part of our life but the poet motivates us to smile through the
hardships and build ourselves in such a way that that we become strong
enough to deal with any misfortune and keep striving towards happiness. He
expects people to be the most real version of themselves.

The poet tries to change the way people look at failures and drudgery.
Through this poem, the poet wishes to give people the happy pills so that they
can lead a happy and fruitful life.

Belief in one’s own self–

Throughout the poem, stress is laid on the acceptance of one’s self for what
he/she is. Once you start believing in yourself and learn to appreciate your
own self and be gentle to yourself, the world would become a much easier
place to live in. The poet asks the readers not to compare themselves with
others. He says that we must be content with what you are and we must not
measure our own worth on the basis of someone else’s terms. There will
always be people who are smarter than you, more talented than you. There
will also be people who are less successful than you. One must stop paying
heed to what others do and focus on your inner self and aim to fulfil your long-
term goals.

Once we start believing in ourselves, we will be able to understand that the

universe unfolds in its own way. We are all a part of this magnificent universe
and in the end everything works out fine. It’s all part of a plan. One must
maintain positivity and peace within himself. Positivity within oneself plays a
vital role in shaping the kind of life a person is going to lead. Instead of
comparing ourselves with others, we must enjoy our achievements and yet
look forward to a better tomorrow. You should not let stressful thoughts of
fear, loneliness and fatigue overpower our happiness. We should accept
ourselves for the kind of person we are and try to improve ourselves without
imitating or pretending to the someone we are not. The poet urges the readers
to maintain their mental, emotional and spiritual peace and not to make a
pretense of love and affection. We should always try to be cheerful and happy
and face every difficulty in life with a smile of our faces.

Tone of Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

“Desiderata” is an inspirational poem by Max Ehrmann in which he attempts to
offer a positive outlook towards life. The tone of the poem is didactic which is
complemented by the use of imperative sentences. The overall tone of the
poem is very positive and inspiring. The poet advises people to be nice and
kind to others and be a good listener. He advises them to look at the world for
the beauty that it possesses. According to him loud and aggressive people
who produce a negative impact on our lives must be ignored. The world is a
balance of positivity and negativity and the poet tries to inspire his readers to
look out for the good things in this world. He inspires the readers to strive for
happiness amidst all the misfortunes, hypocrisy and broken dreams. He poet
cautions the readers of the evil tricksters in the world and advises them to be
careful. But in the same time, he asks them not to overlook the beauty in this
world. He suggests the readers to be kind to people and not compare
themselves with others. He advises them to accept themselves for who they
are and maintain their inner peace. The poet also warns them not to distress
themselves with “dark imaginings” and remain strong and calm. Throughout
the poem, the poet tries to encourage people to live their life in a better and
constructive way. You can also go through the stanzawise summary of
Desiderata by Max Ehrmann.