Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Famous as	Poet and Mystic Rosicrucian
Born in	Johnstown, Wisconsin
Nationality	United States
Works & Achievements	Member of the first Supreme Council of the American Rosicrucian movement' wrote a number of poems & her autobiography - 'The Worlds and I'

Ella Wheeler Wilcox's prolific excellence lay in her positive approach and optimistic nature. She had started penning down poetry from an early age and continued to do so till her death. Her poems reflected her optimism - her belief that hope would triumph over despair and good would overcome evil. For Wilcox, the severity and roughness of life did not exist. Wilcox also was a strong believer of reincarnation. She believed that the negativity that life presented was just an opportunity for man to turn into a blessing. Wilcox played part in the establishment of the American Rosicrucian movement and was also appointed as its first Supreme Council officer. Her term as the Supreme Council officer lasted until her death. Childhood Born in the year 1850, on a farm in rural Johnstown, Wisconsin, Ella Wheeler Wilcox was the youngest amongst four siblings. Her mother, Ms. Wilcox, believed in pre-natal influences. According to her, parents could influence the soul personality of their would-be child by their thoughts and ideals and the kid, in his/her later years, would reflect them. When Ella was in her womb, Ms. Wilcox wanted a girl child, who would go on to become a writer. She did not had to wait too long to fulfill her dreams. Ella Wheeler Wilcox, right from a very tender age, reflected a knack for creative writing. When she was only 8 years old, she wrote her first poem and rhyme. Six years later, at the age of 14, a piece of her prose was published in the New York Mercury. She became the pride of her parents and neighbors. However, the feeling of pride was soon swayed away, when Wilcox scored extremely low in mathematics. Though Wilcox came from a not-so-sound financial background, she was enrolled in Madison University. Eventually, Wilcox left her studies and started pursuing her passion for writing. Just like other writers, she also struggled at the start of her writing career. Though Wilcox would pen down poems, only a few of them would get published, as there were not many potential buyers for her poetry. However, she was not the one to be disheartened by the struggle. She remained optimistic and continued sending her poems to one publisher after the other, with the hope that at least one of them would publish them. Writing Themes Gradually, Wilcox started living her mother's dream - her poems were being published and she was being recognized. She started making a living out of her work. Her poetry was focused on humanity's spirit and on themes of reincarnation. Her poems had a positive approach. For Wilcox, her poetry was a medium by which she could raise someone’s spirit, after his/her death. Her poems gave strength to those who were bereaving for the dead. Wilcox was a strong believer of reincarnation and said that every good thing that one does would get repaid, if not in this life, then in the next. She gave hope in despair and echoed the triumph of the human spirit in every poem she wrote. Death Diagnosed with cancer, Ella Wheeler Wilcox died in the year 1919. At the time of her death, she was just a week short of celebrating her 69th birthday. Personal Life At the age of 28, Ella Wheeler Wilcox married Robert Wilcox. He possessed a fine sense of humor and was an inspiration to her. More than anything, he loved her and her work. The couple was blessed with a son, but he died as an infant. After about 30 years of successful marriage, Robert Wilcox died in 1916. The couple had promised each other that whoever went first through death would return and communicate with the other. Sad and heartbroken, Wilcox waited for a long time to receive any communication from her beloved and got even more depressed when she heard nothing from him. Works Autobiography Book The Worlds and I Poetry The Invisible Helpers in Cosmopolitan 57 (October 1914) The Voice of the Voiceless Disarmament Roads to God To An Astrologer Secret Thoughts An Ambitious Man An Englishman and Other Poems Hello, Boys! The Kingdom of Love Maurine and other Poems New Thought Pastels Poems of Cheer Poems of Experience Poems of Optimism Poems of Passion Poems of Power Poems of Progress Poems of Purpose Poems of Sentiment A Woman of the World Yesterday Poems of Reflection

Timeline:

1850 - Ella Wheeler Wilcox was born 1858 - Wrote her first poem 1864 - Got her writing published for the first time 1878 - Married Robert Wilcox 1916 - Robert Wilcox died 1919 - Left for the heavenly abode