I can't resist quoting part of a famous poem by Edgar Guest. He has a strange status in the United States: he is not considered a great poet in a literary sense, but several of his poems are well-known and well-beloved.
The first line, slightly misquoted, has become a saying: "It takes a heap of living to make a house a home."
<em>It takes a heap o’ livin’ in a house t’ make it home, </em>
<em>A heap o’ sun an’ shadder, an’ ye sometimes have t’ roam </em>
<em>Afore ye really ’preciate the things ye lef’ behind, </em>
<em>An’ hunger fer ’em somehow, with ’em allus on yer mind. </em>
<em>It don’t make any differunce how rich ye get t’ be, </em>
<em>How much yer chairs an’ tables cost, how great yer luxury; </em>
<em>It ain’t home t’ ye, though it be the palace of a king, </em>
<em>Until somehow yer soul is sort o’ wrapped round everything. </em>
Translated into classroom English:
<em>It takes a heap of living in a house to make it home,</em>
<em>A heap of sun and shadow, and you sometimes have to roam</em>
<em>Before you really appreciate the things you left behind,</em>
<em>And hunger for them, somehow, with them always on your mind.</em>
<em>It doesn't make any difference how rich you get to be,</em>
<em>How much your chairs and tables cost, how great your luxury;</em>
<em>It isn't home to you, though it be the palace of a king,</em>
<em>Until somehow your soul is sort of wrapped 'round everything.</em>
Here's the whole poem: