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Speak gently! – It is better far
     To rule by love, than fear
Speak gently – let not harsh words mar
     The good we might do here!

Speak gently! – Love doth whisper low
     The vows that true hearts bind;
And gently Friendship’s accents flow;
     Affection’s voice is kind.

Speak gently to the little child!
     Its love be sure to gain;
Teach it in accents soft and mild:-
     It may not long remain.

Speak gently to the young, for they
     Will have enough to bear –
Pass through this life as best they may,
     ‘T is full of anxious care!
 
     Speak gently to the aged one,
Grieve not the care-worn heart;
The sands of life are nearly run,
      Let such in peace depart!

Speak gently, kindly, to the poor;
      Let no harsh tone be heard;
They have enough they must endure,
     Without an unkind word!

Speak gently to the erring – know,
     They may have toiled in vain;
Perchance unkindness made them so;
     Oh, win them back again!

Speak gently! – He who gave his life
     To bend man’s stubborn will,
When elements were in fierce strife,
     Said to them, ‘Peace, be still.’

Speak gently! – ’tis a little thing
     Dropped in the heart’s deep well;
The good, the joy, which it may bring,
     Eternity shall tell.
 
                                        --- David Bates
Reference:
State Council of Educational Research and Training (2019). Term-1 English Standard-7. Your Space by David Bates (pp. 70-72). Published by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation.