Edgar Albert Guest (1881-1959)
It Couldn't Be Done
1Somebody said that it couldn't be done
2 But he with a chuckle replied
3That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
4 Who wouldn't say so till he tried.
5So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
6 On his face. If he worried he hid it.
7He started to sing as he tackled the thing
8 That couldn't be done, and he did it!
9Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
10 At least no one ever has done it;"
11But he took off his coat and he took off his hat
12 And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
13With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
14 Without any doubting or quiddit,
15He started to sing as he tackled the thing
16 That couldn't be done, and he did it.
17There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
18 There are thousands to prophesy failure,
19There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
20 The dangers that wait to assail you.
21But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
22 Just take off your coat and go to it;
23Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing
24 That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.
Notes
14] quiddit: quiddity, subtlety.
Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text: Edgar A. Guest, Breakfast Table Chat (Detroit, 1914): 148. NBI (Guest, E. A. Breakfast Table Chat) New York Public Library
First publication date:
1914
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: RPO 2000.
Recent editing: 2:2002/3/27
Rhyme: ababcdcd
Other poems by Edgar Albert Guest
