Categories: Poetry

The Don’t Quit Poem

I am sharing this poem for those who’ve never read it and others who have found continued inspiration from it, like myself. It is very popular, written decades ago. When downtrodden growing up (I rehearsed it so much it is imprinted in my brain:} and now as an adult and mother, I still find this poem has the awesome ability to lift my spirits through lifes difficult challenges. It amazes me that many ‘posers’ have attempted to claim ownership of it.

Don’t Quit. A beautiful, timeless treasured poem, I find it very sad and unfortunate that the writer chose to remain anonymous.

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.