Ambition.

In ways to greatness, think on this,
That slippery all ambition is.

Robert Herrick

Robert Herrick was a 17th-century English lyric poet and cleric. He is known for his book of poems, "Hesperides," which includes the carpe diem poem "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time." His works are noted for their clarity, simplicity, and musical quality. Herrick was also a vicar of Dean Prior in Devon, despite being ejected during the English Civil War and later reinstated.

Robert Herrick

An Ode, Or Psalm To God.

Robert Herrick, Simple Poetry

Upon Her Blush.

Robert Herrick, Simple Poetry

Upon Jolly's Wife.

Robert Herrick, Simple Poetry

To The Sour Reader.

Robert Herrick, Simple Poetry

English

Suggested Poems

Explore a curated selection of verses that share themes, styles, and emotional resonance with the poem you've just read.

Ambition

In man, ambition is the common'st thing;
Each one by nature loves to be a king.

Robert Herrick

Ambition's Trail

If all the end of this continuous striving
        Were simply to attain,
How poor would seem the planning and contriving
The endless urging and the hurried driving
        Of body, heart and brain!

But ever in the wake of true achieving,
        There shines this glowing trail -
Some other soul will be spurred on, conceiving,
New strength and hope, in its own power believing,
        Because thou didst not fail.

Not thine alone the glory, nor the sorrow,
        If thou doth miss the goal,
Undreamed of lives in many a far to-morrow
From thee their weakness or their force shall borrow -
        On, on, ambitious soul.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Perseverance.

Hast thou begun an act? ne'er then give o'er:
No man despairs to do what's done before.

Robert Herrick

Quotations IV

"Ambition is but avarice on stilts, and masked."

"Great men lose somewhat of their greatness by being near us; ordinary men gain much."

"People, like nails, lose their effectiveness when they lose direction and begin to bend."

"Great men always pay deference to greater."

"Study is the bane of childhood, the oil of youth, the indulgence of adulthood, and a restorative in old age."

Walter Savage Landor

Purpose

No wrath of men, or rage of seas,
Can shake a just man's purposes;
No threats of tyrants, or the grim
Visage of them can alter him;
But what he doth at first intend,
That he holds firmly to the end.

Robert Herrick

Two Friends

One day Ambition, in his endless round,
All filled with vague and nameless longings, found
Slow wasting Genius, who from spot to spot
Went idly grazing, through the Realms of Thought.

Ambition cried, 'Come, wander forth with me;
I like thy face -but cannot stay with thee.'
'I will,' said Genius, 'for I needs must own
I'm getting dull by being much alone.'

'Your hands are cold -come, warm them at my fire,'
Ambition said.    'Now, what is thy desire?'
Quoth Genius, ''Neath the sod of yonder heather
Lie gems untold.    Let's plough them out together.'

They bent like strong young oxen to the plough,
This done, Ambition questioned, 'Whither now?
We'll leave these gems for all the world to see!
New sports and pleasures wait for thee and me.'

...

Ella Wheeler Wilcox