Edgar Guest was one of the most celebrated British American poets. He is also accoladed as People’s Poet who wrote motivational and encouraging poems on human life experiences. The poem “Don’t Quit” explores the individual resilience towards life’s various obstacles and challenges. The poem motivates an individual to stay focused and not to yield despite the challenges thrown at one in life. The theme of the poem includes resilience and determination, positivity, optimism and perseverance as well as the path of success.
The theme of resilience echoes throughout the poetic verses to fight against the darkness of human life. The speaker acknowledges that life in general is tough and the “road you’re trudging seems all uphill” meaning that the path an individual takes in life can be a herculean task yet the speaker urges an individual to not yield while progressing towards the “uphill”. The resilience is also evident when the speaker tells an individual that the financial crisis or “funds are low” or the “debts are high” can have an impact on a person yet the person should take rest a bit, put a smile on their faces reflecting a positive attitude towards life in the face of turbulences. This whole segment of encouraging analogies reflects the speaker’s willingness to share human resilience and determination against the challenges of human life.
The theme of perseverance and determination towards success in life is also encapsulated in the poem. In the second stanza, the speaker suggest that life is “queer with its twists and turns” highlighting the ups and downs of human life. Human life is not so smooth as a plain paper. There are many challenges and difficulties that one undergoes in life that develops the human spirit and progress. The speaker emphasises that certain unanticipated events may strike in one’s life causing a person to yield and lose a ray of hope. The social message is clear in the second stanza of the poem where the speaker is addressing to persevere in human life to not “give up” in the face of life’s predicament. The speaker suggest that the progress “though the pace seems slow” yet the person shall succeed if a person continues to move forward.
The poem gives insight into life’s experiences where success and inconveniences does not exist in the same zip code. The speaker portrays vividly that sometimes the ambition of a person is just near to a person amidst the feeling to yield in life. The speaker emphasise the importance of keeping up optimism and perseverance in life because of the regrets some “struggler” could have achieved “the victor’s cup”. It is important to note that the speaker is describing the life’s experiences where one needs to comprehend the inconveniences of life that can shatter the human spirit but it is the feeling of regret that one consumes inside bitterly when one yields before reaching his ambitions.
The poem also expounds on human experiences of bitter regret in life. The poem emphasises that giving up is the birth of regret. In the poem, it is clearly mention when the person gives up before he even achieves his victory cup, he soon finds out that he “learned too late” that he was near to “the golden crown”. The “golden crown” is the success itself in the poem and the speaker is suggesting that one is uncertain of time when success is achieved and it is just around the corner waiting for the struggler to take it but some yields in the middle of the path because of the life’s predicament and problems that ultimately gives birth to regret in later stages of life.
The poem captures the definition of success where success comes with failures and doubt. Being unsuccessful and having a doubt is one of the significant challenges one undergoes while pursuing their dreams. The speaker also states that success comes when one is able to experience failures and doubt and it is a necessity to strengthen human spirit and enlightenment for human progress and development. The speaker states that even if a person is unable to tell “how close you are” to achieving success, it could be so close when “it seems afar” meaning that that success is around the corner even if looks distant. Hence, the speaker tells any individual to stick themselves to their ambition without giving up despite challenges and obstacles in life and one should continue their journey learning from their failures and doubts.
The poem also has a beautiful expression which can be opted for life’s aphorism. For instance, the line “Life is queer with its twists and turns” which is a beautiful, short and a witty expression on life. It is aphoristic in nature because it describes life having many unforeseen circumstances which makes human life a state of constant struggle. The another beautiful aphoristic expression in the poem is “ Success is failure turned inside out” and the aphoristic expression suggest that definition of success which is undergoing life’s failure and uncertainties while pursuing one’s goal in life. If one undergoes such experiences of human life, success is the result. As much as success is the joy and abundance of life, it is as much as inconvenient and uncomfortable to achieve it.
The language and the style of the poem is simple. The poet has simplified and translated the philosophy of success in life in a simple manner. There are many playful words and imageries of “road” and “uphill” as well as the aphoristic phrases that add a meaningful metaphor to understand the abstract experience of life. The most important part of the poem is the social message of regret and yielding in life. This aspect of social message highlights that giving up has given birth to a later regrets in life which is the truth and the speaker uses this truth to express the reason why one should not yield in life. It serves as a reminder that having the qualities of perseverance, optimism and determination gets one ahead in life.
Critically, considering the overall poetic composition and the thematic concerns, the speaker negates acquiring worldly knowledge and books. The speakers has stressed on human quality and personalities where perseverance, ambition, determination and commitment cannot be acquired through books but it is a personal development of a character of a person which emerges while trying to achieve their dreams.
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