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Spartan Surfers

1881–1959

Edgar Guest

English-born American newspaper poet at the Detroit Free Press who published a poem a day for decades. His plain verses on grit and home, like "It Couldn't Be Done", sold millions.

14 sourced lines

Every line we carry

Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.

  1. No one is beat till he quits.

    Guest's rule is simple: losing a round is not losing. You are beaten only when you stop. Keep getting up and nobody can call you beat.

    "Defeat" (A Heap o' Livin', 1916), Original English (A Heap o' Livin', 1916)

  2. A fellow's not down till he lies in the dust and refuses to rise.

    Getting knocked down is part of any real effort. What decides the matter is whether you get back up. Down is a moment; staying down is a choice.

    "Defeat" (A Heap o' Livin', 1916), Original English (A Heap o' Livin', 1916)

  3. He tackled the thing that couldn't be done, and he did it.

    Someone said it couldn't be done; he answered with a grin and started. Guest's point is that most impossibles are untested. Start, and let the work answer the doubters.

    "It Couldn't Be Done" (The Path to Home, 1919), Original English (The Path to Home, 1919)

  4. You may fail, but fall still fighting.

    Guest does not promise victory. He asks for something you control: how you go down. If you lose, lose swinging.

    "See It Through" (Just Folks, 1917), Original English (Just Folks, 1917)

  5. Eyes front, head high to the finish. See it through.

    When things look grim, finish anyway, with your chin up. The race is judged at the end, not at the hard middle. Whatever you started, see it through.

    "See It Through" (Just Folks, 1917), Original English (Just Folks, 1917)

  6. Meet it squarely, face to face.

    Trouble you dodge comes back later and bigger. Guest says turn and face it: chin up, feet planted. The honest conversation, the hard bill, the injury: look at it straight.

    "See It Through" (Just Folks, 1917), Original English (Just Folks, 1917)

  7. Failure comes from the inside first.

    Before the result goes wrong, the belief usually does. Guest says fear of yourself loses the game before it starts. Win the inside first.

    "How Do You Tackle Your Work?" (A Heap o' Livin', 1916), Original English (A Heap o' Livin', 1916)

  8. The world will furnish the work. You must provide the pluck.

    There will always be work, problems and chances. What nobody hands you is the nerve to take them on. That part is your job.

    "How Do You Tackle Your Work?" (A Heap o' Livin', 1916), Original English (A Heap o' Livin', 1916)

  9. You can do as much as you think you can, but never more.

    Belief sets the ceiling. Guest does not say belief does the work, only that you will not go past what you think is possible. Raise the ceiling, then do the work to reach it.

    "How Do You Tackle Your Work?" (A Heap o' Livin', 1916), Original English (A Heap o' Livin', 1916)

  10. A licking often does a fellow good.

    Guest has seen men find courage only after being knocked flat. Defeat teaches what success never will. Take the loss, learn the lesson, and buckle in.

    "Hard Knocks" (A Heap o' Livin', 1916), Original English (A Heap o' Livin', 1916)

  11. The toughest game you'll find is to make your body obey your mind.

    Talking about grit is easy. Guest says the real test is quitting something you like. Self-discipline is the hardest sport there is, and you play it every day.

    "On Quitting" (Just Folks, 1917), Original English (Just Folks, 1917)

  12. The grit worth owning is the stuff you need when you're all alone.

    It is easy to keep your grin in a fight you can win, in front of a crowd. The grit that matters shows up with nobody watching. Build that kind.

    "On Quitting" (Just Folks, 1917), Original English (Just Folks, 1917)

  13. The things that haven't been done before, those are the things to try.

    Most people follow the beaten track with a chart for every day. A few strike out where no one has been. Pick one thing this year that nobody has handed you a map for.

    "The Things That Haven't Been Done Before" (A Heap o' Livin', 1916), Original English (A Heap o' Livin', 1916)

  14. Are you one of the flock that follows, or one that shall lead the way?

    Guest ends his poem with a question rather than a command. Following is safe and leading is lonely. Answer it honestly, then act like your answer.

    "The Things That Haven't Been Done Before" (A Heap o' Livin', 1916), Original English (A Heap o' Livin', 1916)