Class 11th English Notes

POEM 2 – DON’T QUIT By Edgar Albert Guest

Exercise 1 = Book Page # 193:
Column A has words from the poem; underline these words in the poem. Underline these
words in the poem. Column B has the contextual meanings of these words, but they are
jumbled up. Work in pairs. Try and match the appropriate meaning of each word, and write
your answer in column C. Share your work with your partner after you have completed.

No. Column A No. Column B Column C

1 trudge A strange D
2 quit B speed E
3 queer C a long deep breath A
4 pace D to walk slowly B
5 twist E to stop G
6 stuck F caught F
7 tint G an unexpected change H
8 sigh H shade C

Exercise 2 = Book Page # 194:

Read the poem again and encircle the right option.
1. The figure of speech in ‘The silver tint of the cloud of doubt’ is ________.
a) Personification b) metaphor
c) Onomatopoeia d) conscience
2. ‘When things seem worst’, we should _________.
a) Run away b) take some other way
c) Stop moving ahead d) stick to them
3. “You might succeed with another blow”, means you __________.
a) Give the blow b) receive the blow
c) Continue struggle d) lofty
4. The struggler learns too late that he ___________.
a) was unable to struggle b) was close to his victory
c) Should have taken rest d) should have quit

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 Class 11th English Notes
POEM 2 – DON’T QUIT By Edgar Albert Guest
5. The moral of the poem is that we should _________.
a) Face challenge of life b) enjoy success
c) Run away from the hardship of life d) only thinks positively
6. ‘So stick to the fight when you’re ________.
a) Hardest hit b) betrayed c) unhappy d) unlucky
7. The phrase ‘golden crown’ means __________.
a) Wealth b) power c) victory d) throne
8. In the first stanza of the poem, the word ‘sigh’ symbolizes _________.
a) Happiness b) regret c) courage d) pain

Exercise 3 = Book Page # 194

Explanation with Reference to the Context:
Stanza 1:
Reference: These lines have been taken from the poem ‘Don’t Quit” composed by
Edgar Albert Guest (1881 – 1959).
Context: In the given lines, the poet point out that life is not straightforward. It
has ups and down so never give up.

Explanation: The poet says that the route of life is not always straightforward. It
can be enjoyable at times, but other times, things seem to go wrong. No matter
how carefully you’ve planned everything, occasionally things still go wrong.
Sometimes one must persevere even when money is tight and they are in debt.
Don’t give up; just take a break for a time. Life loses its purpose when a person
gives up.

Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the
day after tomorrow will be sunshine. Jack Ma

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 Class 11th English Notes
POEM 2 – DON’T QUIT By Edgar Albert Guest
Stanza 2:
Context: In the given lines, the poet emphasizes how complicated life is but never
gives up.

Explanation: The speaker emphasizes the complexity of life in the second stanza.
It will not unfold in the manner anticipated. The speaker depicts a "individual"
who gets some distance from difficulty as opposed to driving forward. If this
person had "stuck it out," he would have "won."The speaker uses this vague
example to encourage readers to persevere despite the difficulty of the problem
at hand.
There isn't anything beneficial to battle for and all will to live lessen. Even though
the issue appears to be enormous, if they fight just a little longer, they will prevail.
Although your progress may appear to be sluggish, you are nonetheless moving
forward, which is evidence of success. You will succeed with one more try.
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
Confucius

Stanza 3:
Context: The poet in these given lines; describes that a happy man is never
envious of other people. He is straight forward and confident.

Explanation: A tired person who has struggled for some time may not realize it,
but the goal is often closer than they think. It's unfortunate that the struggler
gives up so close to winning. Overcoming one's own doubts and fears is the key to
success. Frequently, what you thought would be a bad decision turns out to be
the complete opposite and benefits you. You must persevere and never give up
because you do not know how close you are to winning. The solution will appear
after the most severe hardship, just as a rainbow appears after every storm.
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished
by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope
at all.” Dale Carnegie

“Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” Vince Lombardi

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 Class 11th English Notes
POEM 2 – DON’T QUIT By Edgar Albert Guest
Stanza 4:
Context: In the given lines, the poet tells the reader that success and failure
reside within us, and how we respond to them, whether positively or negatively,
is entirely up to us.

Explanation: The speaker states in the concluding stanza that success and failure
are two facets of human life. The speaker is attempting to emphasize that success
always exists despite failure or struggle in this instance. To realize that happiness
and success are within reach, one must be able to see the "silver tint of the clouds
of doubt."One "must not quit" when circumstances appear to be the most
difficult. Even when things get tough, you shouldn't give up and keep fighting.
You'll soon get a sweet victory, and then everything will be worth the effort.
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to
succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas Edison

“Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but
they don’t quit.” Conrad Hilton

Exercise 4 = Book Page # 195:

Read the poem and answer the following question.
Q1. What is the poet’s message in the first stanza?
Ans: The topic of the opening stanza is “Why we may feel like quitting." At times,
when everything turns out badly, when each undertaking appears to be a
daunting task, when cash is short - we as a whole need to simply tap out and stop.
The poem advises us to take a vacation rather than giving up. Sometimes all it
takes is a brief break to clean our minds and generate ideas we may not have had
before.
Q2. Which lines of the poem do you like the most and why?
Ans: Success is failure turned inside out-
The silver tint of clouds of doubt,
The above lines of the poem appeal to me the most because success and failure
are the two facets of human life. It’s important to keep in mind that the sun's rays
cannot be obscured by clouds. It must shine through the mist. The same holds

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 Class 11th English Notes
POEM 2 – DON’T QUIT By Edgar Albert Guest
true here: success and failure reside within us, and how we respond to them,
whether positively or negatively, is entirely up to us.

Q3. Write the central idea of the poem.

Ans: The central idea of the poem is that it takes endurance, tenacity,
determination, and will-power to keep going when things are difficult and one
appears to be going against the wind. This poem serves as a helpful reminder that
failure has the potential for triumph, so we shouldn’t give up. It revivifies the
sense of self-worth, allows us to believe in our capacity to accomplish the goals
that may seem to defy common sense, logic, and rationality. This self-assurance is
crucial in life since it give us confidence and ability to realize our goals and visions.

Q4. Find similes, metaphors and alliterations in the poem.

Ans:
Similes:
“When things go wrong, as they sometimes will.”
Metaphor:
Success is failure turned inside out.
The silver tint of clouds of doubt.
Alliteration:
“Life is queer with its twists and turns,”

Q5. Discuss how the poem helps the reader to be optimistic in every situation.
Ans: The poem helps the reader to be optimistic in every situation of life.
Although the writer of this poem is aware of how challenging life can be, they he
hopes to inspire the reader to keep going despite obstacles through his words.
When things seem to be going wrong, success is more likely to occur.

Q6. What effect does the poem create on the reader?

Ans: The poem has a positive impact on the audience. It teaches them to put in a
lot of effort throughout their lives, no matter what. It is very important for them
to face these failures and believe that success is very close, even if they are failing
at everything. No matter what situation they’re in, work hard throughout their
life.

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 Class 11th English Notes
POEM 2 – DON’T QUIT By Edgar Albert Guest
Q7. What is the message of the poem?
Ans: The message of the poem is that it takes endurance, tenacity, determination,
and will-power to keep going when things are difficult and one appears to be
going against the wind. This poem serves as a helpful reminder that failure has
the potential for triumph, so we shouldn’t give up.

Q8. Why does the poet term life ‘queer with twists and turns’?
Ans: The poet term life ‘queer with twists and turns’ as the speaker acknowledge
that life is "queer," or strange, with many ups and downs and twists. The majority
of us will come to realize that this is how life is for us at some point in our lives
but learning what life is really like is not enough; we need to be able to handle the
many turns it takes. We can't control our lives, which are full of unexpected turns
and seem to never end, but we can control ourselves: we have control over how
we respond to the ups and downs of life.

Q9. What is the benefit of not quitting as suggested in the poem?

Ans: Self-belief is bolstered by the advantages of not quitting. It indicates that you
accept "failure" in order to acquire the essential adaptation skills. It makes you
more motivated; it makes you more committed to achieving your objectives and
eventually leads to success.

Q10. What is the tone of poem “Don’t Quit”?

Ans: The voice of the poem “Don’t Quit” is one of inspiration and tenacity.
Although the writer of this poem is aware of how challenging life can be, they he
hopes to inspire the reader to keep going despite obstacles through his words.
When things seem to be going wrong, success is more likely to occur.

Exercise 5 = Book Page # 195:

Work individually and identify the poetic devices in the poem. Make a list of
them and used them in your sentences. Share your work with your class fellows
after you have completed.
Poetic Devices:
Throughout ‘Don’t Quit,’ the poet makes use of several literary devices. These
include but are not limited to:

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 Class 11th English Notes
POEM 2 – DON’T QUIT By Edgar Albert Guest
Caesura: When a poet inserts a pause in a line of poetry, it is known as a
caesura. This could be accomplished by punctuation or by allowing the meter to
naturally pause. For example, "When care is pressing you down a little – rest if
you must, but don't you quit," for instance.

Imagery: The use of particularly interesting descriptions. It should trigger the

reader’s senses, inspiring them to imagine the scene in great detail. For example,
“Don’t give up though the pace seems slow – you may succeed with another
blow.”

Alliteration: When a poet uses the same consonant sound at the beginning of
numerous lines, it is known as alliteration. To give two examples, look at the
words “smiling” and “sigh” in line four of the first stanza and “twists” and “turns”
in the line one of the second stanza.

Repetition: It occurs when the poet repeats one or more elements of a poem.
This could be the structure, an image, a word, phrase, or more. In this case, the
poet uses several examples of repetition, including anaphora.

Antithesis: A figure of speech in which contradictory words are used in the same
sentence. Example- When the funds are low and the debts are high,.

Anaphora: It is a device in which a phrase or word is repeated at the start of

successive phrases, sentences, or clauses. Example- “When things go wrong, as
they sometimes will”, “When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill”, “When
the funds are low and the debts are high.”

Exercise 6 = Book Page # 195:

Work in pairs and give a critical appreciation of the poem based on
the following aspects. Compare your work with your partner.
Poetic Diction: The poem makes use of common words. The vocabulary is
figurative but simple. There are a lot of figurative devices used. In the poem, the
poet enjoys using the relevant diction.

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 Class 11th English Notes
POEM 2 – DON’T QUIT By Edgar Albert Guest
Theme: People frequently operate in their comfort zone and when adversity
hits, they often retreat or fight it only for a while before giving up. Nevertheless,
this poem profoundly motivates its readers to never stop and never give up in the
face of adversity. Life is what it is, and surprises around. Consider it as a
rollercoaster with highs and lows. The victory cup is awarded to the person who
perseveres until the very finish. The win is within striking distance, but appearing
far away. Only persistence is required.

Structure: The poem Edgar Albert Guest's "Don't Quit" has four stanzas. Each
stanza consists of six lines which are called sestet.
Additionally, the stanzas consistently employ perfect rhymes of AABBCC. The use
of rhyme helps establish a consistent pattern that gives the poem a more songlike
feel as a whole.

Language: The poet has inspired readers with his use of straightforward
language. There are no difficult words, but the ones that are used have hidden
meanings. Overall, the language can be understood.

Message: The message of the poem is that it takes endurance, tenacity,

determination and will-power to keep going when things are difficult and one
appears to be going against the wind. This poem serves as a helpful reminder that
failure has the potential for triumph, so we shouldn’t give up.

Exercise 7 = Book Page # 195:

Students: See Exercise 3 above for this exercise.

Exercise 8 = Book Page # 195:

Students: Compose your own poem on the theme of ‘Don’t
Give Up’.

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