Keywords
wisdom, serenity, guidance, values, life philosophy
Document Type
Poetry
Abstract
Largely unknown in Ehrmann’s lifetime, the poem was compiled by Frederick Kates, rector of Saint Paul’s Church in Baltimore, MD in 1959 as part of a devotional poetry collection. The Church’s name and founding year were inscribed on the collection: “Old Saint Paul’s Church, Baltimore A.D. 1692.” This date was mistakenly attributed to the poem itself, leading scholars to believe that rector Kates had found this 17th century poem that Ehrmann had taken credit for. This conspiracy theory died out, but the mark remains popular as a devotional poem. Les Crane’s spoken-word recording of the poem reached #8 on the Billboard charts in 1972. The poem is reprinted here in its original, unformatted text.
Recommended Citation
Ehrmann, Max '94
(2012)
"Desiderata,"
A Midwestern Review: A Magazine of the Arts and Issues at DePauw University: Vol. 25:
Iss.
2, Article 1.
Available at:
https://scholarship.depauw.edu/amidwesternreview/vol25/iss2/1