There is so much truth and subtle wisdom in this short poem about speaking and our tone of voice, but my initial explorations suggest that the poem’s author is no longer known.
“It’s not so much what you say
As the manner in which you say it;
It’s not so much the language you use
As the tone in which you convey it;
"Come here!" I sharply said,
And the child cowered and wept.
“Come here”, I said – He looked and smiled
And straight to my lap he crept.
Words may be mild and fair
And the tone may pierce like a dart;
Words may be soft as the summer air
But the tone may break my heart;
For words come from the mind
Grow by study and art –
But tone leaps from the inner self
Revealing the state of the heart.
Whether you know it or not,
Whether you mean or care,
Gentleness, kindness, love and hate,
Envy, anger, are there.
Then, would you quarrels avoid
And peace and love rejoice?
Keep anger not only out of your words –
Keep it out of your voice.” - ~Author Unknown
Three related articles on voice and vocal expressiveness:
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I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to locate this poem on “Words”. Back in the ’70s I had read and used this poem at a State convention of Young Homemakers… , a meeting of young mothers.I loaned my copy and never got it back. It had been printed in our Baptist monthly magizine..Home Life but I was never able to track a copy of it. All these years the words have stayed in my head, but not complete. I now have them and am so grateful. I was just playing around on the net and decided to give it a try with the few words I recalled. Whow! Thanks a million. It holds such wisdom and challenge…I will share it. May God richly bless you my new friend in a far away land. I do business with many of your people from Australia in my home based business of Mannatech…..Whow what a product from nature. Australians are wild about it. If you need info…please contact me but until then…..Thanks again.