It Couldn't Be Done

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, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever 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 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.

Edgar Guest was born in Birmingham, England but became a naturalized US citizen when his family moved to Detroit in 1881.

He started his career as a copy boy at a local newspaper company. From this humble position he worked his way up as reporter and later as editor and columnist.

It was during this time that he began writing daily poetry for the newspaper. His poems were later syndicated to over 300 newspaper all over the nations.

Guest was famous for writing poems on home and familiar things and transforming those so called mundane things into great beauty and appreciation. Considered one of the most influential people who manage to give hope during the Great Depression, Guest was affectionately given the title “the poet of the people” after his death.

His best known poem is It Couldn't Be Done while his fourth volume of poetry, A Heap O' Living were sold for more than 1 million copies. During his lifetime Guest was believed to have written over 15000 poems.