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THE LADDER OF ST. AUGUSTINE by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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This poem draws inspiration from a quote by the ancient philosopher Saint Augustine and transforms it into a motivational message: even our worst habits and failures can serve as the steps we take toward becoming better individuals.

Poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Themes
faith, hope, identity
The PoemFull text

THE LADDER OF ST. AUGUSTINE

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Saint Augustine! well hast thou said, That of our vices we can frame A ladder, if we will but tread Beneath our feet each deed of shame! All common things, each day's events, That with the hour begin and end, Our pleasures and our discontents, Are rounds by which we may ascend. The low desire, the base design, That makes another's virtues less; The revel of the ruddy wine, And all occasions of excess; The longing for ignoble things; The strife for triumph more than truth; The hardening of the heart, that brings Irreverence for the dreams of youth; All thoughts of ill; all evil deeds, That have their root in thoughts of ill; Whatever hinders or impedes The action of the nobler will;-- All these must first be trampled down Beneath our feet, if we would gain In the bright fields of fair renown The right of eminent domain. We have not wings, we cannot soar; But we have feet to scale and climb By slow degrees, by more and more, The cloudy summits of our time. The mighty pyramids of stone That wedge-like cleave the desert airs, When nearer seen, and better known, Are but gigantic flights of stairs. The distant mountains, that uprear Their solid bastions to the skies, Are crossed by pathways, that appear As we to higher levels rise. The heights by great men reached and kept Were not attained by sudden flight, But they, while their companions slept, Were toiling upward in the night. Standing on what too long we bore With shoulders bent and downcast eyes, We may discern--unseen before-- A path to higher destinies. Nor deem the irrevocable Past, As wholly wasted, wholly vain, If, rising on its wrecks, at last To something nobler we attain.

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This poem draws inspiration from a quote by the ancient philosopher Saint Augustine and transforms it into a motivational message: even our worst habits and failures can serve as the steps we take toward becoming better individuals. Longfellow emphasizes that greatness isn't given freely — it's achieved through slow, steady effort, often while the rest of the world is resting. Our past, including its painful or shameful moments, isn't wasted if we leverage it as a foundation to elevate ourselves.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Saint Augustine! well hast thou said, / That of our vices we can frame

    Editor's note

    Longfellow begins by acknowledging Saint Augustine, the 4th-century theologian, for the core idea: our vices — those bad habits and moral shortcomings — aren’t dead ends. Instead, they can be seen as the building blocks of a ladder. The exclamation mark shows his genuine admiration, not just a courteous reference.

  2. All common things, each day's events, / That with the hour begin and end,

    Editor's note

    The poem quickly broadens its focus. It’s not only the dramatic sins that serve as rungs on the ladder — it also includes the mundane, easily overlooked aspects of everyday life: minor joys and small annoyances. Each moment has the power to elevate us or pull us down.

  3. The low desire, the base design, / That makes another's virtues less;

    Editor's note

    Here, Longfellow specifically identifies the vices he refers to. Envy—the urge to diminish someone else's virtues to boost your own self-esteem—is one aspect. So is excessive drinking and any other indulgence that drags the self down.

  4. The longing for ignoble things; / The strife for triumph more than truth;

    Editor's note

    This stanza points out more subtle moral failings: desiring things that undermine your dignity, prioritizing winning an argument over honesty, and — most strikingly — losing the idealism of youth. Longfellow sees that last one, the hardening of the heart, as a real spiritual threat.

  5. All thoughts of ill; all evil deeds, / That have their root in thoughts of ill;

    Editor's note

    Longfellow connects thought to action directly: negative actions stem from negative thoughts. He also brings in the term 'nobler will,' which serves as the poem's moral guide — the aspect of ourselves that strives for improvement. Anything that hinders that will is a hurdle to overcome.

  6. All these must first be trampled down / Beneath our feet, if we would gain

    Editor's note

    The ladder metaphor takes on a tangible form here. You don't just recognize your vices — you literally step on them. The legal term 'right of eminent domain' is a striking choice: it refers to the power to seize land. Longfellow suggests that moral excellence is a space you earn the right to inhabit.

  7. We have not wings, we cannot soar; / But we have feet to scale and climb

    Editor's note

    This is one of the poem's most genuine moments. Longfellow dismisses the idea of instant change. Humans aren’t angels; we can’t simply jump to virtue. We have feet, not wings — and feet are meant for the slow, hard work of climbing.

  8. The mighty pyramids of stone / That wedge-like cleave the desert airs,

    Editor's note

    The first of two impressive natural and architectural images. From afar, the pyramids appear as sleek, surreal monuments, but when you get closer, they reveal themselves as massive staircases. The takeaway: what seems like an unattainable summit is actually composed of many individual steps.

  9. The distant mountains, that uprear / Their solid bastions to the skies,

    Editor's note

    The mountains illustrate the same point. From a distance, they appear to be solid walls. However, when you start climbing — when you put in the effort — paths emerge that you couldn't see from the valley. Making progress brings clarity.

  10. The heights by great men reached and kept / Were not attained by sudden flight,

    Editor's note

    This stanza is the most frequently quoted part of the poem and represents its emotional high point. Great individuals didn't achieve success merely through inspiration or luck; they toiled away at night while others were resting. This imagery is both literal — depicting late-night work — and symbolic: they persevered in the darkness, without any applause or witnesses.

  11. Standing on what too long we bore / With shoulders bent and downcast eyes,

    Editor's note

    A beautiful turn: the burdens we've been carrying — the shame, the failures, the weight of our past — become a platform the moment we stand tall on them. Looking down used to signify defeat; now it shows we’ve risen high enough to see a way forward.

  12. Nor deem the irrevocable Past, / As wholly wasted, wholly vain,

    Editor's note

    The closing stanza speaks directly to the reader's feelings of regret. While the past is unchangeable — Longfellow acknowledges this — it can still hold value if you use its wreckage to build upon. The last word, 'attain,' reflects the climbing imagery and leaves the poem on an uplifting note.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is sincere and uplifting without coming across as preachy. Longfellow writes as if he has truly faced failure and is eager to share his insights from that experience. There's a calm seriousness throughout — no irony or distance — but it never crosses into lecturing because Longfellow consistently uses "we," positioning himself in the struggle alongside the reader. The overall impression is steady and comforting, like a hand on your shoulder rather than a finger pointing in your face.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The Ladder
The poem's central image comes from Saint Augustine. The ladder symbolizes the journey of moral and spiritual development. Its rungs aren't virtues given to us but rather vices and failures that have been transformed — stepped on and used as a foundation. It emphasizes that growth is a step-by-step process, requiring effort, and is constructed from the very substance of our most challenging experiences.
The Pyramids
The Egyptian pyramids represent any accomplishment that appears impossibly smooth and solid from afar. However, when you get close, they're actually staircases — constructed step by step. They show how the fear of greatness fades away once you decide to engage with the journey toward it.
The Distant Mountains
The mountains symbolize long-term goals that look like solid, impenetrable walls. The important detail is that paths only become visible as you ascend — you can't see them from the base. This illustrates how the next step in growth often becomes clear only after you've taken the previous one.
Night / Toiling in the Night
Night represents obscurity, challenge, and a lack of recognition. Remarkable individuals toiled away while their peers were asleep—this meant they put in the effort without an audience, without rewards, and without knowing if they would succeed. Night is the environment where true character is forged.
Wings vs. Feet
Wings symbolize the fantasy of instant, effortless change — a leap to greatness that isn’t real. Feet offer a more honest perspective: they’re slow, rooted to the ground, able to climb but never to soar. This contrast anchors the poem's argument in human reality instead of wishful thinking.
The Wrecks of the Past
In the final stanza, the past is depicted as wreckage — broken and irretrievable, yet still sturdy enough to stand on. This shifts the perspective on regret: what is damaged isn't worthless. It can serve as the basis for something greater, if you decide to build upon it instead of just lamenting.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Longfellow published this poem in 1850 as part of his collection *The Seaside and the Fireside*. At that time, American culture was heavily focused on self-improvement and moral progress, a period that also saw the rise of influential figures like Ralph Waldo Emerson and the broader Transcendentalist movement. While Longfellow wasn't a Transcendentalist, he believed, like many of his contemporaries, that individuals could actively shape their own character through effort. The poem's epigraph references Saint Augustine's *Confessions*, a 4th-century autobiography where Augustine recounts his journey from a dissolute life to one filled with faith and wisdom. This reference lends the poem its central metaphor and moral authority. By 1850, Longfellow was at the peak of his popularity, widely read in both America and Europe. Poems like this one — accessible, morally thoughtful, and well-crafted — were exactly what made him the most celebrated American poet of his time.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

The poem suggests that personal growth comes from failure rather than in spite of it. Our flaws, missteps, and moments of shame aren't merely hurdles; they're the rungs of a ladder we can ascend by confronting them honestly and moving past them. Greatness doesn't happen overnight; it's the outcome of slow, steady, and often unseen effort.

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