When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.
- Unknown Author
YPs this is one of Jameka Vereen’s favorite poems shared with YPBlogSpot about during her interview and I simply love the motivational nature of this poem. The message of the poem is to never quit hence the title. A lot of people do not realize how close they are to success and they quit just before they reach ‘Successville’. It’s simple YPs, see it through and finish what you start regardless of a failed or successful outcome. There are lessons to be learned through failure and success therefore either outcome will provide growth. YPs, you never want to say “What if or what could have been, etc.,” because you never finished what you started. This is a poem you may want to print out and post on your wall to remind you “Don’t Quit” and share with your children, family and friends. Enjoy and special thanks to the unknown author and Jameka.
YPRuck, Young Professionals Writer
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
this is a great posting …im going thru my own battle and i just made it thru the battle field but im not done i hav a ways to go thru this half lit tunnel and sometimes i just want to give up or catch a break but i kno i cant stop i hav to stay on my grind we cant let socitey dictate wat we should b doing ….anyway great psoting
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO FIND THIS POEM. GROWING UP, MY FATHER WOULD OFTEN RECITE THIS POEM TO US TO REMIND US NOT TO QUIT. I HAVE SEARCHED FOR A LONG TIME FOR THE POEM. I THOUGHT THE AUTHOR WAS BEN BURROUGHS BECAUSE HIS POEMS WERE PUBLISHED IN OUR NEWSPAPER THUS MY SEARCH UNDER HIS NAME WAS ALWAYS FUTILE.
SINCERELY,
SALLY DUVAL
I thought the poem, “Don’t Quit,” was written by Annie Johnson Flint. I used to work for a home helper agency, and one of the ladies I helped had a sister. This sister said she remembered as a child being in the bedroom of Annie Johnson Flint when the woman was very sick. She must have had severe arthritis, because she could only type notes one finger at a time.
this may seem strange to whoever im writing this to but i am 100% the author of this pem i wrote this poem in 1993 sitting at my desk at my mothers house along with 4 other poems . My original was stolen from me i believe by a family member and i never knew that it was missing until i read it on a wall at a friends house . i have proof that it is mine because im the only person that knows what it is about. If there is anyway you can help me claim what is mine it would be greatly appreciated . My phone number is 580-214-1625. Thanks
the poem is by Edgar A. Guest, and is included in many online collections of his poems. I have an old poetry book called “Family Poetry” compiled in the 1950′s and this poem is included, with him as author.
Mind blowing and very inspiring poem.
Decision changing and gives a lots of energy and power booster.
I have a copy of a newspaper clipping from the Sandusky Star Journal – Ohio dated Mar 03, 1921 showing author as © Edgar A. Guest. Hard to believe there as so many others who wrote it since then.
i was thought this same poem by my
4th grade teacher and i am going through a
rough time right now and this same poem came
back to me and comfort me amazing!