Featured Poem: Happy the Man by John Dryden

Another Monday, another Featured Poem to help you steal back a moment of thought and reflection while the working week warms up. Today we're reading Happy the Man by John Dryden.

If like us you begin each working week with a growing list of to dos, it can sometimes feel like the days have run away from you before you've even begun. Luckily John Dryden has some poetic inspiration to slow our minds down a pace.

Dryden was named England's first poet laureate in 1668, so we can only guess what his busy schedule might have looked like, but his words in Happy the Man sound a welcome reminder for the modern day.

"Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today."

Carpe Diem indeed!

Happy the Man

Happy the man, and happy he alone,
He who can call today his own:
He who, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.
Be fair or foul or rain or shine
The joys I have possessed, in spite of fate, are mine.
Not Heaven itself upon the past has power,
But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour.

John Dryden

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If you want to make time for more poetry in your week why not find a Shared Reading group near you.