THE BEST MEDICINES
Joy and Temperance and Repose
Slam the door on the doctor's nose.
The Annotated Edition
THE BEST MEDICINES by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This tiny two-line poem makes a straightforward yet daring assertion: if you embrace joy, moderation, and rest, you can skip the doctor.
§01Quick summary
What this poem is about
This tiny two-line poem makes a straightforward yet daring assertion: if you embrace joy, moderation, and rest, you can skip the doctor. Longfellow transforms a piece of folk wisdom into a lively, almost humorous couplet. It's like the 19th-century version of "an apple a day keeps the doctor away," but with a lot more character.
§02Themes
Recurring themes
§03Line by line
Stanza by stanza, with notes
Joy and Temperance and Repose / Slam the door on the doctor's nose.
Editor's note
The entire poem is crafted as a single rhyming couplet, uniting the two lines into one cohesive piece. Longfellow brings to life three virtues — Joy (which signifies happiness), Temperance (representing moderation, particularly in avoiding excess food and drink), and Repose (embodying rest and calm) — and depicts them in a shared, almost humorous action: slamming a door in the doctor's face. This image is intentionally amusing. The doctor isn’t portrayed as a villain; rather, he becomes irrelevant when one lives a balanced life. The hard 'sl' sound of "slam" paired with the blunt rhyme of "nose" lends the couplet a satisfying snap, reminiscent of a proverb you'd want to display above a fireplace.
§04Tone & mood
How this poem feels
Cheerful, witty, and confident. Longfellow isn't lecturing — he's making you smile while sharing practical advice. The tone feels more like a wink than a sermon, which is surprising for a poet typically linked with grander, more serious themes.
§05Symbols & metaphors
Symbols & metaphors
- The doctor
- The doctor represents both illness and the medical help we need when we overlook our own health. Shutting him out is like keeping sickness away.
- The door
- The door marks the line between health and illness. When Joy, Temperance, and Repose are part of your life, that door remains securely closed to disease.
- Joy, Temperance, and Repose
- These three abstract virtues come to life as dynamic, almost tangible forces. Together, they form a comprehensive guide for healthy living: emotional wellbeing, self-control, and sufficient rest.
§06Historical context
Historical context
Longfellow penned this brief poem in 19th-century America, a time when professional medicine was still emerging and folk wisdom about healthy living held significant cultural importance. The temperance movement—promoting moderation or complete abstinence from alcohol—was a powerful social force during his lifetime, and by highlighting "Temperance" as one of the three virtues, Longfellow taps into that cultural context. While he’s best known for lengthy narrative works like *Evangeline* and *The Song of Hiawatha*, this couplet reveals a lighter, more whimsical aspect of his writing. The poem feels like a maxim or proverb, echoing styles rooted in classical literature and the American tradition of straightforward practical wisdom exemplified by figures such as Benjamin Franklin.
§07FAQ
Questions readers ask
It suggests that by nurturing joy, practicing moderation, and ensuring you get enough rest, you'll maintain your health and won't require a doctor. Essentially, it argues in two lines that a healthy lifestyle is the best medicine.
It's a comic image, not a harsh one. The doctor symbolizes illness and the necessity for medical care. Slamming the door on him signifies that those three virtues prevent sickness from entering. The humor reinforces the lesson.
Temperance refers to moderation — avoiding extremes in food, drink, or any other desires. During Longfellow's time, it was closely linked to the temperance movement, which fought against alcohol consumption. Ultimately, the concept revolves around self-control and finding balance.
Yes. A couplet consists of two lines that rhyme, and that's what we have here. "Repose" and "nose" are the rhyming words. It's one of the simplest forms of poetry.
Poets frequently create brief pieces in addition to their main works—these can be quick observations, jokes, or maxims that don't require much space. This feels like something Longfellow might have quickly noted down because the thought was fully expressed in just two lines. Stretching it out would have ruined the humor.
The main elements are **personification** (Joy, Temperance, and Repose are depicted as people capable of slamming a door), **rhyme** ("Repose" / "nose"), and **imagery** (the lively, almost cartoonish image of a door slamming into a doctor's nose). Additionally, there's a hint of **humor** that serves as a form of irony—the poem acts as a type of medicine presented without any bitterness.
The message is clear: prevention is better than cure. Instead of waiting until we get sick to seek treatment, Longfellow suggests that emotional happiness, self-discipline, and rest are the true cornerstones of good health. This holistic perspective feels remarkably contemporary.
It's closely related to the saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away," which was popular in various forms in the 19th century. It also reflects Benjamin Franklin's knack for condensing practical wisdom into brief, memorable phrases — much like in *Poor Richard's Almanack*.
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