John Greenleaf Whittier was a poet who lived in the middle part of the nineteenth century. Born in 1807, he was introduced to poetry by a dedicated teacher and he became one of the rare individuals who was able to make a living at the time solely through his writing. Over the course of his life, he would witness some tumultuous and turbulent historical events, including the fracturing of the country and the Civil War. So it is no wonder that many of his works served as inspiration for those facing big challenges at the time.

In fact, one of his most famous poems, “Don’t Quit,” still resonates today. The advice it contains is applicable to our modern life and particularly helpful for those of us on the path to accomplishing our own personal goals or overcoming our own frustrations and struggles.

Here are his words. We suggest you print them out and place them somewhere you can refer to them often.

Don’t Quit

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 strange with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns
And many a failure comes 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.
Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell just 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.

Why you SHOULD NOT QUIT

As Whittier brilliantly and simply states in the lines above, there will be hills to climb, twists and turns to navigate, failures to face. At times, the pace will seem slow and we will feel clouded by doubt. But we can’t quit! Success is closer than you think.

How to NOT QUIT

Whittier’s advice for pushing through and never giving up is found within his poem.

Take a rest if you need it.

Keep learning and keep growing as you move forward.

View your failures as a stepping stone to success.

Look for the silver linings. Stick to your goal.

And above all, you must not quit.