Keep Going (poem)- by Edgar Albert Guest (Interactive English- Intermediate First Year)

Keep Going (poem)- by Edgar Albert Guest

(Interactive English- Intermediate First Year)

Keep Going- By Edgar Albert Guest

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
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 afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit

Answer the following questions in about 100 words each.

1. Keep going is a classic inspirational poem, claims many critics. Substantiate.
2. Life is queer with its twist and turns, … List a few twists as mentioned
3. It may be near when it seems afar; What seems afar and why?
4. “An easy-to-read poem, Keep Going is rich both in its content and form’. Explain the above statements with examples.

Model Answer:

About the Poet: 

The poem “Keep Going” is written by Edgar Albert Guest (1881-1959). He was born in England. When he was 12, his father lost his job so Edgar had to work as a copy-boy in Detroit free press. When he was 14, Edgar lost his father. That forced Edgar to quit school and work in that press as a full-time employee. He composed his own experiences as rhymes. He wrote a poem a day for 30 years and published 20+ volumes. He is regarded as a people’s poet.

About the poem:

The poem ‘Keep Going’ has 24 lines. It is an inspirational or motivational poem. The poem motivates us that life is not a bed of roses, and we must encounter different kinds of problems. The central message of the poem is to ‘keep going’ or ‘never to quit’. It encourages us to keep on the struggle till the goal is reached.

The poet advices us to follow the formula of keep going in any difficult situation. Things may go wrong; road may be uphill. Funds may be low; debts may be high. We may feel tired or sad. People may discourage you. But we must never quit. Poet advices to take a break, and start the journey again.

Life is full of twists and turns. Success often comes just after failure. The journey may be slow and difficult; but you can get success with another try. So never quit, keep going.

We may be one step away from success. But without realizing that, many people give up. Doubts and struggles are a part of life. If we keep trying, we can turn doubts into victories.

Troubles may come and go. Goals may stand beyond reach. Yet, we shouldn’t give up; we must fight and face the troubles. We must learn from the failures.  In simple words, the message is: take rest if needed, but don’t ever quit.

Critical Comment:

 “Winners never quit, Quitters never win”.