by Amelia Earhart (1897 - 1937)

Language: English 
Courage is the price that Life exacts 
for granting peace. 
The soul that knows it not 
Knows no release 
from little things: 

Knows not the livid loneliness of fear, 
Nor mountain heights where bitter joy can hear 
The sound of wings. 

How can life grant us boon of living, compensate 
For gray dull ugliness and pregnant hate 
Unless we dare 

The soul’s dominion? 
Each time we make a choice, we pay 
With courage to behold the resistless day, 
And count it fair.

First published in article: Marion Perkins entitled, Who is Amelia Earhart?, In: Survey Graphic magazine, July 1, 1928

Composition:

    Set to music by Ingrid Stölzel (b. 1971), "Livid Loneliness of Fear", 2019, copyright © 2019 [ mezzo-soprano and instrumental ensemble ], Composers Edition
        Publisher: Composers Edition [external link]

Text Authorship:

  • by Amelia Earhart (1897 - 1937), Survey Graphic magazine, first published 1928

See other settings of this text.


Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-09-26
Line count: 15
Word count: 82