Max Ehrmann’s poem, “Desiderata” in Latin stands for ‘desired things.’ The poem offers an insight to leading a virtuous and ideal life. The poet speaks to the reader through the poem and tells them to “Go placidly amid the noise and the haste.” He urges them them to listen to others but use the basic instinct when it comes to trust someone. He tells them to believe in oneself despite what others say. “Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.” The speaker guides them through a series of advice as what one should and shouldn’t do to make life happier and successful. Hence, the title “Desiderata” is aptly justified through the moral didacticism given by the speaker in the poem.

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Some sources of the stress found in the poem are when the speaker urges the readers to “Avoid loud and aggressive persons.” He says that such people do nothing apart from create anxiety and are “vexatious to the spirit.” He also requests the readers not to compare themselves with others as there will always be “greater and lesser persons than yourself” and it would only make one vain.

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In the poem, the speaker advises us to go calmly and quietly amidst all the noise and haste as speech is silver but silence is golden. He cautions us to to not compare ourselves with others for there will always be “greater and lesser persons than yourself.” He even tells us to avoid “loud and aggressive persons” aa they do nothing but create problems and anxieties. We should always be humble, irrespective of what are career is and “enjoy you achievements as well as your plans.” The speaker urges the readers to be original, “Be yourself.” There is no need to be fake or cynical but look at life through a positive outlook and remain cheerful as “it is still a beautiful world” and every person has a right to be here.

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