Failure by Edgar Albert Guest: Powerful Motivational Poem

Edgar Albert Guest (20 August 1881 – 5 August 1959) was a British-born American poet who became known as the People’s Poet. His poems often had an inspirational and optimistic view of everyday life.

Failure is ceasing to try!
‘Tis accepting defeat
And to all you may meet
Giving voice to a sigh;
‘Tis in thinking it vain
To attempt furthermore
And in bowing to pain
When the muscles grow sore.

Failure is stepping aside
From the brunt of the fray
In a week-hearted way,
Being content to abide
In the shadows that fall,
And in being afraid
Out of life, after all,
Nothing’s left to be made.

Failure is thinking despair,
The forsaking of hope,
And refusal to cope
With the day’s round of care.
It’s in heeding the cry,
“All is lost !” and to stay
With defeat and not try
For the happier day.