Compensation
Compensation - meaning Summary
Solitude Amid Others' Joy
Emerson’s short poem contrasts personal sorrow with communal celebration. The speaker questions taking a solitary holiday while others are joyful, recognizing a mismatch between inner mood and outward festivity. He notes a reversal: formerly he addressed quiet crowds, but now it is their time to be heard while he remains mute. The poem compresses themes of timing, isolation, and the shifting balance between self and society.
Read Complete AnalysesWhy should I keep holiday, When other men have none? Why but because when these are gay, I sit and mourn alone. And why when mirth unseals all tongues Should mine alone be dumb? Ah! late I spoke to silent throngs, And now their hour is come.
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