Edgar A. Guest (born August 20, 1881 in Birmingham, England – died August 5, 1959 in Detroit, Michigan) was an English-born American poet popular in the first half of the 20th century. He was known as the “People’s Poet”. We liked his poem titled “Defeat” and hope you will find wisdom in its simplicity.

No one is beat till he quits,

No one is through till he stops,

No matter how hard Failure hits,

No matter how often he drops,

A fellow’s not down till he lies

In the dust and refuses to rise.

Fate can slam him and bang him around,

And batter his frame till he’s sore.

But she never can say that he’s downed

While he bobs up serenely for more.

A fellow’s not dead till he dies,

Nor beat till no longer he tries.