Commentary on "It Couldn't be Done" by Edgar Albert Guest

Dear Readers,

My first post in this blog will be to comment on the poem "It Couldn't be Done" by Edgar Albert Guest.

It Couldn't be Done
by Edgar Albert Guest

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But, he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't" but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.

So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, as he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one we know has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.

With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.

But just buckle right in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That cannot be done, and you'll do it.

Why do I like this poem?

Personally, I find this poem extremely inspirational and encouraging, which never fails to cheer me up when I am feeling down.

Throughout the poem, the protagonist is being told by others that something was impossible to do or that he would be unable to succeed in his endeavours. However, he refused to succumb to fate, but instead, persevered on and refused to admit defeat until he had attempted and given a shot at it.

Whenever I encounter failure or simply feel unhappy, reading such inspiring poetry would always boost my energy level to enable me to persevere and soar to greater heights.

This poem is written in simple English, suitable even for young children. This is evident in that no bombastic words are being used.

Therefore, I find this poem suitable for everyone as this would greatly boost their morale, especially during their deepest and darkest abysses in both work and studies.

What have I learnt from this poem?

From this poem, I have learnt that one should not be easily influenced by what others may think, and that we should not think that something is impossible to achieve before we actually try it.

More often than not, we are mentally challenged by others’ words, when they say that a particular task is impossible or that we do not have the capability to undertake it. The natural reaction would be to agree with them and leave it undone.

However, the protagonist here did not give up on doing the task, despite others’ criticisms and discouragements. In fact, he attempted the task with a smile, totally unaffected by the words directed at him. Eventually, he was able to perform the task which others deemed “impossible”. Edgar Albert Guest instilled in me the “CAN DO” attitude so that I am able to face life’s obstacles with unwavering determination!

Please feel free to express your views on this!

Best Regards,
Nathan :)