THE JOYS OF HOME

THE JOYS OF HOME

by: Edgar A. Guest (1919)

Curling smoke from a chimney low,

And only a few more steps to go,

Faces pressed at a window pane 

Watching for someone to come again,

And I am the someone they wait to see--

These are the joys life gives to me.

What has my neighbor excelling this:

A good wife's love and a baby's kiss?

What if his chimneys tower higher?

Peace is found at our humble fire.

What if his silver and gold are more?

Rest is ours when the day is o'er.

Strive for fortune and slave for fame,

You find that joy always stays the same:

Rich man and poor man dream and pray

For a home where laughter shall ever stay,

And the wheels go round and men spend their might

For the few glad hours they may claim at night.

Home, where the kettle shall gaily sing,

Is all that matters with serf or king;

Gold and silver and laurelled fame

Are only sweet when the hearth's aflame

With a cheerful fire, and the loved ones there

Are unafraid of the wolves of care.

So let me come home at night to rest

With those who know I have done my best;

Let the wife rejoice and my children smile,

And I'll know by their love that I am worthwhile,

For this is conquest and world success--

A home where abideth happiness.

I chose “The Joys of Home” by Edgar A Guest because I love the words and the implications. It implies that there are people with more money and bigger houses than he has but love, peace and rest in his home is better than all of that. The poem shares the central theme of all of my poems in the anthology about how wonderful and satisfying home is. This poem says to me that if don’t have love in your life and a place to call home then all of the riches in the world cannot make you happy.

The rhythm and rhyme in this poem really make it work. The images of “the neighbor’s chimney tower being higher” and “silver and gold” paint a picture of riches next door,  whereas the image of his “humble fire” create a more down to earth image he has at home. “There are faces pressed against the window pane and I am the one they wait to see”, shows he is the “king of his castle”. “So let me come home at night to rest with those who know I have done my best”, tells me that even though he doesn’t have the greatest fame and fortune he is rich in love and family.

“Rich man and poor man dream and pray
For a home where laughter shall ever stay”

As you can see this man and his family are very rich indeed. No need to work all of the time striving for more and more and bigger and better things. Having a happy home with a loving family is all you will ever need. Money, riches, fame and fortune cannot buy happiness.

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