A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom.

"A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom." Thus proclaimed Robert Frost, whose verses walked between the quiet fields and the eternal mysteries of the soul. His words unveil the sacred journey of art: it touches first the heart with beauty, and then, like a hidden river, it carries the spirit toward revelation. The delight is the flower, radiant and fragrant; the wisdom is the fruit, nourishing and enduring.

The ancients too understood this path. The bards of Greece sang epics that stirred their listeners with rhythm and tale, but beneath the music lay truth about fate, courage, and the gods. The joy of song was the door, but the treasure within was eternal wisdom. For the poet is both entertainer and prophet—he gives the people laughter, tears, and melody, yet in so doing, he plants truths that endure beyond the passing of an age.

Frost himself lived this teaching. In “The Road Not Taken,” readers find delight in the simple image of diverging paths in a yellow wood. Yet by the poem’s end, they glimpse wisdom—that choices shape destiny, and the smallest decisions echo through a lifetime. The poem charms at first, then pierces, leaving its lesson inscribed on the soul. This is the alchemy Frost described: delight leading into wisdom.

History also bears witness in the Psalms of David. The songs began with the beauty of harp and voice, with delight that lifted weary hearts. Yet they ended in lessons of trust, humility, and divine strength. What began as music for the ear became wisdom for the generations, proving that true poetry is never mere ornament, but a vessel of truth.

So let this truth be carried forward: the poem is not just words upon a page, but a journey from joy to understanding. It first awakens the heart, then enlightens the mind. Seek such delight, for it will carry you gently toward wisdom. And when you hear a verse that lingers, do not only savor its beauty—listen also for the eternal truth hidden within its lines, for there lies the true purpose of poetry.