When He Should Laugh
WHEN he should laugh the wise man knows full well: For he knows what is truly laughable. But wiser is the man who laughs also, Or holds his laughter, when the foolish do.
Edward Thomas
WHEN he should laugh the wise man knows full well: For he knows what is truly laughable. But wiser is the man who laughs also, Or holds his laughter, when the foolish do.
Edward Thomas packs a quiet paradox into four lines. The first couplet sets up a familiar standard: the truly wise person knows exactly what deserves laughter and never misses the mark. He laughs only when something is genuinely laughable. That seems like the height of good judgment.
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