Is Your Cup Half Full or Half Empty?

» f2911 - desiderata

This has long been one of my favorite poems. I was surprised to see that it was written by Max Ehrmann. I found the history of that mis-assumption on the Web. Very interesting. The following was pasted from:

http://www.magna.com.au/~prfbrown/deside...

Concerning the actual source of this document, the following question and response to the sci.classics newsgroup is of note.

Date: Mon, 15 Jan 96 00:00:53 PST
From: misrael@scripps.edu (Mark Israel)
To: prfbrown@magna.com.au
Subject: Re: Desiderata

In article <4d7320$act@kettle.magna.com.au>, you write:

> Attached above is the text known as "desiderata".
> I am quite sure there would have been thread concerning this in the past.
> However I am interested whether anything substantial was determined
> from these earlier discussions - or possibly personal research -
> concerning the actual historical source for this quite inspiring text.

From the alt.usage.english FAQ file:

"Desiderata" was written in 1927 by Max Ehrmann (1872-1945). In 1956, the rector of St. Paul's Church in Baltimore, Maryland, used the poem in a collection of mimeographed inspirational material for his congregation. Someone who subsequently printed it asserted that it was found in Old St. Paul's Church, dated 1692. The year 1692 was the founding date of the church and has nothing to do with the poem. See Fred D. Cavinder, "Desiderata", _TWA Ambassador_, Aug. 1973, pp. 14-15

-- posted by f2911

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» Juquma - Re: desiderata

In response to message posted by f2911:

Hi! That is one of my favorite poems as well. I own a beautiful book of this poem. Each page has one line of these calming words and a drawing to go with it. Glad to know that there are other's out there who enjoy the wisdom of these words!

Julie

-- posted by Juquma

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