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Life Is Too Short For
Life is too short to spend our days carrying regret, bitterness, and anger. In this poem, Ella Wheeler Wilcox reminds us that yesterday cannot be changed, but we can choose what we carry with us into today.
Her words encourage us to let go of old hurts, forgive what we can, and make room for love. Time has a way of bringing healing, and life is far too precious to allow hate or resentment to take up the space where happiness and love could grow.
Like many Famous Poems, these verses continue to offer wisdom that is just as meaningful today. Wilcox's message is simple: life is short, so spend it on what truly matters.
Updated October 7, 2026, by Catherine Pulsifer.
Life Is Too Short For
Poet: Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Life is too short for any vain regretting;
Let dead delight bury its dead, I say,
And let us go upon our way forgetting
The joys, and sorrows, of each yesterday.
Between the swift sun's rising and its setting,
We have no time for useless tears or fretting,
Life is too short.
Life is too short for any bitter feeling;
Time is the best avenger if we wait,
The years speed by, and on their wings bear healing,
We have no room for anything like hate.
This solemn truth the low mounds seem revealing
That thick and fast about our feet are stealing,
Life is too short.
Life is too short for aught but high endeavour, —
Too short for spite, but long enough for love.
And love lives on for ever and for ever,
It links the worlds that circle on above;
Tis God's first law, the universe's lever,
In His vast realm the radiant souls sigh never
"Life is too short."
Key Reflections In This Poem
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Do Not Waste Today Regretting Yesterday
The past cannot be changed, no matter how often we think about it. We can learn from yesterday without allowing regret to take away the opportunities we have today.
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Let Time Help Heal The Hurt
Some disappointments need time before they become easier to accept. Wilcox reminds us that healing can come as the years pass, so we do not have to carry bitterness forever.
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Make No Room For Hate
Life is too short to allow anger and resentment to fill our days. Letting go of those feelings gives us more room for peace, happiness, and the people who matter to us.
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Use Your Time For What Matters
Our days are limited, which makes the way we spend them important. Instead of giving our energy to spite or needless worry, we can put it toward worthwhile goals and the good we hope to accomplish.
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There Is Always Time For Love
Wilcox's strongest message is that life may be short, but it is long enough for love. The love we give and receive can have an influence that reaches far beyond a single day.
Popular Pages
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Conclusion
Life gives us many reasons to look backward, but Ella Wheeler Wilcox reminds us not to spend too much of our precious time there. Regrets, old hurts, anger, and bitterness can take away from the life that is still ours to live.
We cannot change yesterday, but we can choose forgiveness, make the most of today, and give our attention to the people and things we love. Life may be too short for hate and needless fretting, but, as Wilcox so beautifully reminds us, it is long enough for love.
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