Edgar Albert Guest's It Couldn 'T Be Done'

As a student who was first exposed to poetry in an unpleasant manner, I have found the process of connecting with poems to be extremely problematic. Previously, I took every poem at face value, without the want to delve deeper into them. Have you ever became completely overwhelmed with something so you decide to block it out? That was my high school self with every single poem. I now have experienced the serene, yet exhilarating moment when my mind engrosses itself within the words that make up a poem. “It Couldn’t Be Done” written by Edgar Albert Guest gave me an ephtiny: I can handle poems. I was unsure at first as to why this poem in particular has captivated my attention so strongly. After living with this poem for a few days, I concluded …show more content…
Guest writes, “He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn’t be done, and he did it!” This line is repeated at the end of every stanza of the poem. By repeating this sentence it drives home the concept of being joyful while trying to prove someone wrong. Some people choose to take their hate and use it as a driving force for attempting to prove someone wrong. The repetition compelled me to reflect on how I deal with people telling me that I cannot do something. Typically, I would try to prove them wrong using my hate as a source of fuel. This poem suggests that you do not need anger or hate to fuel you. “There are thousands” is also repeated three times in the last stanza. This is done to show there will always be people that will try to oppose you. There are so many pessimistic individuals; however, you cannot let them affect you. This repetition exemplifies the amount of doubt that individuals have, but also that they are flawed. This poem tells its readers to be prepared for the negativity and to push through it. The multiple uses of repetition is used to cement the overall messages of “It Couldn’t Be