# To Any One explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by George MacDonald.

## What happens

A brief poem advising against summoning sorrow prematurely, trusting that it will arrive when needed and that God will be present before it.

## Themes in this chapter

### Suffering and Purification

Sorrow is inevitable and arrives in its own time, but God's presence precedes it, suggesting a purifying or redemptive purpose.

## Character check-ins

### Sorrow

Personified as Dame Sorrow, who roams the fields of Tomorrow and comes when needed.

### God

Present before sorrow arrives at the door.

## Key lines

> Go not forth to call Dame Sorrow From the dim fields of Tomorrow; Let her roam there all unheeded, She will come when she is needed; Then, when she draws near thy door, She will find God there before.

Do not actively seek out sorrow or worry about future grief; it will arrive on its own when the time is right. And when it finally approaches you, you will discover that God has already arrived ahead of it.

_The poem counsels patience and trust in divine providence regarding sorrow._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_8_se/chapters/to-any-one
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_8_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_8_se/chapters