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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, Edgar Albert Guest.
- Edgar Albert Guest
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.
- Summary
- Structure and Form
- Literary Devices
- Analysis, Stanza by Stanza
- Similar Poetry
‘Don’t Quit’ by Edgar Guestis an inspirational poem that should inspire readers to work hard no matter how impossible a situation seems. In the first stanza, the speakeradmits that everyone experiences “low” moments in their life. One might want to be happy but also have to deal with negative circumstances out of their control. He says on these occ...
‘Don’t Quit’ is comprised of four stanzas with unique rhyme schemes: the first two stanzas are quintains (‘AABBC’ and ‘AABCD’), the second is a tercet (‘ABB’), and the fourth is a quatrain(‘ABBC’).
Throughout ‘Don’t Quit,’ the poet makes use of several literary devices. These include but are not limited to: 1. Caesura: occurs when a poet inserts a pause in a line of verse. This could be through the use of punctuation or through a natural pause in the meter. For example, “when care is pressing you down a bit – rest if you must, but don’t you q...
Stanza One
In the first stanza of the poem, the reader should immediately take note of the poet’s use of anaphora. This occurs when the writer repeats the same word or phrase at the beginning of multiple lines. In this case, four of the five lines of the first stanza begin with the word “when.” These lines set up a series of instances in which readers are going to have to persevere through the hardest moments in their lives. For example, the poet says that when “the funds are low, and the deaths are hig...
Stanza Two
In the second stanza, the speaker emphasizes how complicated life is. It is not going to play out the way that one expects. The speaker describes a “fellow” who turns away from hardship rather than persevering. This person would’ve “won” if he had “stuck it out.” The speaker uses this very vague example as a way to inspire readers to persevere, no matter if the issue they’re dealing with seems impossible. In combination with descriptions of perseverance, the speaker uses endurance-based image...
Stanza Three
The third stanza is the shortest of the three. It returns to the same images that the poet used in the previous two stanzas, asking readers to remember how important it is to continue working hard no matter how negative the situation is. Just like the “fellow” in the previous stanza, here, the speaker refers to a “struggler” who would’ve captured the “victors cup” if he had not given up. The speaker also uses metaphors like “the golden crown” to refer to success in the broadest of terms. This...
Readers who enjoyed this piece should also consider reading some other Edgar Guest poems. For example: 1. ‘Being Brave at Night’– talks about how he is not afraid of anything that comes across to terrify him at night. 2. ‘It Couldn’t Be Done’ – a poem with an uplifting message about never giving up. 3. ‘See It Through’ – a motivational poem meant t...
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- October 9, 1995
- Poetry Analyst And Editor
Find solace and strength in our inspirational poems when things go wrong. Each verse is a beacon of hope, guiding you through challenges with resilience and courage.
Oct 16, 2023 · Don’t Quit by Edgar Albert Guest 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 ...
May 24, 2020 · When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low but 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 strange with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns,
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When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, And 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.
