Ever feel like life handed someone else the golden ticket—while you got the receipt? Adelaide Anne Procter’s “Envy” is a haunting portrait of silent suffering, unfair comparisons, and the cruel irony of fate.
Envy
Adelaide Anne Procter
He was the first always: Fortune
Shone bright in his face.
I fought for years; with no effort
He conquered the place:
We ran; my feet were all beeding,
But he won the race.
Spite of his many successes,
Men loved him the same;
My one pale ray of good fortune
Met scoffing and blame.
When we erred, they gave him pity,
But me — only shame.
My home was still in the shadow,
His lay in the sun:
I longed in vain: what he asked for
It straightway was done.
Once I staked all my heart’s treasure,
We played — and he won.
Yes, and just now I have seen him,
Cold, smiling, and blest,
Laid in his coffin. God help me!
While he is at rest,
I am cursed still to live: — even
Death loved him the best.
❓ Reflective Questions:
- Have you ever felt overshadowed by someone else’s effortless success?
- What toll does envy take on the soul—especially when it feels justified?
- Can peace be found when comparison becomes our constant companion?
💔 Poignant Reflection:
Procter’s Envy strikes at the heart of what it means to feel unseen in a world that rewards the loud, the lucky, or the blessed. It’s not just a lament—it’s a mirror reflecting the loneliness that festers when life’s scales seem permanently tipped. And yet, hidden in the final line is a subtle truth: even those who seem to have it all are not immune to death, and perhaps, just perhaps, the final chapter is not the one written on earth.