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May 25th 2017

Outline for a poet video (Edgar Albert Guest)

Introduction

Hard Luck and See It Through are the poems I chose to talk about today. These poems focus

on everyday family lives with deep great tenderness as most of my poems do.

Biography :

Birthday : 20 August 1881 (Birmingham England)

Moved to America 1891 (Where he was educated)

Died : 5 August 1959 (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

Major life events :

- The moving from Birmingham England to Michigan, USA

- His dad lost his job when he was 11 years old.

- He had to work after school at Detroit Free Press as a copyboy after school

- The lost of his father when he was 17 years old.

- The dropping out of high school to help supporting his family as a full time worker after

the death of his father.

- Published his own first daily column Edgar A. Guest Breakfast Table chat in 1909

- Published his own book A Heap O Livin in 1916

Mood : Inspiring

I take simple everyday things that happen to me and I figure it happens to a lot of other

people and I make simple rhymes out of them. - Edgar Albert Guest 1881-1959

Thesis : An optimistic view of facing failure is presented by exploring the idea of going through

tough times, dealing with discouraging thoughts, and not blaming bad luck.

Body 1

Topic sentence : A message of See It Through is persevering and keep doing your best until

the goal is reached regardless of whatever happens.

Information : The influence Hard times I had been through during my teenage life.

Evidence :

When youre up against a trouble,

Meet it squarely, face to face;

Lift your chin and set your shoulders,

Analysis : In this part, it can be inferred to his earlier life, when he had to leave school to support

his family. He didnt give up. He would just keep trying and trying until he reached a better

position in life. It can be seen from the job he had. He started off as a copyboy and ended up

being a writer of his own column.

Transition : Not only one message is meant to be sent to the readers, but also another important

one.
Body 2

Topic sentence : I also mention the idea of dealing with discouraging thoughts.

Information :

- When you faces troubles, they most likely to have a thought of being lost. The idea of

not giving up in times like this is mentioned throughout the whole poem in order to

motivate readers to fight back.

- Guest also talks about how humans should not blame on the luck they have because it is

life. Everyone has to face tough times.

Evidence :

Even hope may seem but futile, When with troubles youre beset.

Just what other men have met.

Analysis : The idea of human nature We tend to focus more on the negativity when it comes

to hard times. However, I later talk about staying strong and positive because everyone has to go

through times like this. Youre not alone.

Transition : The similar theme is also seen in another poem written but in a different idea.

Body 3

Topic sentence : The poem called Hard Luck is in the theme of having an optimistic view

toward failure in life by focusing on not blaming bad luck.

Information : The way people usually compare themselves to others, who they think are better

is mentioned. I also talk about accepting the hard luck ironically in the last stanza.

Evidence : Your life ain't sadder than your neighbor's

Nor any harder are your labors;

The day I find a man who'll say

He's never known a rainy day,

Who'll raise his right hand up an' swear

In forty years he's had no care,

Has never had a single blow,

An' never known one touch o' woe,

Has never seen a loved one die,

Has never wept or heaved a sigh,

Has never had a plan go wrong,

But allas laughed his way along;

Then I'll sit down an' start to whine

That all the hard luck here is mine.

Analysis :

- I emphasize that Youre not alone in this poem as well.

- The last stanza I want everyone to understand that having a bad luck is normal phase

in life that all of us has to face. Even I mention that I would consider my own life as a

hard luck if I find a man who never faces a bad day, in fact, the deeper message of this

stanza is no one never has bad days, then it is not the hard luck you should blame.

Transition : From all the arguments discussed in the video,

Conclusion: It can be clearly seen from these two poems that most of my work mainly focus on

staying positive in life. I want these poems to influence readers lives in a motivating way. I hope
it inspires them to keep fighting no matter what life throws at them. No one is any luckier than

anyone. Just keep doing your best in every situation you face.
See It Through

By Edgar Albert Guest

When youre up against a trouble,

Meet it squarely, face to face;

Lift your chin and set your shoulders,

Plant your feet and take a brace.

When its vain to try to dodge it,

Do the best that you can do;

You may fail, but you may conquer,

See it through!

Black may be the clouds about you

And your future may seem grim,

But dont let your nerve desert you;

Keep yourself in fighting trim.

If the worst is bound to happen,

Spite of all that you can do,

Running from it will not save you,

See it through!

Even hope may seem but futile,

When with troubles youre beset,

Just what other men have met.

You may fail, but fall still fighting;

Dont give up, whateer you do;

Eyes front, head high to the finish.

See it through!
Hard Luck

By Edgar Albert Guest

Ain't no use as I can see

In sittin' underneath a tree

An' growlin' that your luck is bad,

An' that your life is extry sad;

Your life ain't sadder than your neighbor's

Nor any harder are your labors;

It rains on him the same as you,

An' he has work he hates to do;

An' he gits tired an' he gits cross,

An' he has trouble with the boss;

You take his whole life, through an' through,

Why, he's no better off than you.

I wouldn't have a word to say;

If it made good friends out o' foes

I'd whine a bit, too, I suppose;

But when I look around an' see

A lot o' men resemblin' me,

An' see 'em sad, an' see 'em gay

With work t' do most every day,

Some full o' fun, some bent with care,

Some havin' troubles hard to bear,

I reckon, as I count my woes,

They're 'bout what everybody knows.

He's never known a rainy day,

Who'll raise his right hand up an' swear

In forty years he's had no care,

Has never had a single blow,

An' never known one touch o' woe,

Has never seen a loved one die,

Has never wept or heaved a sigh,

Has never had a plan go wrong,

But allas laughed his way along;

Then I'll sit down an' start to whine

That all the hard luck here is mine.

Edgar Albert Guest. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2017, from

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets/detail/edgar-albert-guest#poet

Edgar Guest. (2016, June 02). Retrieved May 10, 2017, from

https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/edgar-guest

Edgar A. Guest . (n.d.). Retrieved May 11, 2017, from

https://www.enotes.com/topics/edgar-guest

The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica. (n.d.). Edgar A. Guest. Retrieved May 15, 2017, from

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edgar-A-Guest

Hard Luck. (n.d.). Retrieved May 15, 2017, from https://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poems/hard-luck

Oliver Wendell Holmes . (n.d.). Retrieved May 15, 2017, from

https://www.enotes.com/topics/oliver-wendell-holmes/critical-essays/holmes-oliver-wende

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Newsroom, M. R. (n.d.). After 56 years, a poet laureate for Michigan? Retrieved May 16, 2017,

from http://michiganradio.org/post/after-56-years-poet-laureate-michigan