Poems Of Encouragement

Let these short poems of encouragement inspire, motivate, and encourage you. In life, we all need encouraging people who will support us, and give us strength. Let the poetry of these Poets give you words that will uplift you and help you look at your situation with hope and positivity.

The poetry here is also great to share with others who need words that are uplifting. Reading a poem can be the inspiration and encouragement that someone needs. All of these writings can help a friend or family member look at a situation with hope and excitement, rather than with fear and depression - the verses may be the encouragement that they need.

Short Poems   /   Poems of Encouragement - related Encouragement Quotes

Collections of Poems of Encouragement

1. Don't Quit Poem 2. Poems About Anger 3. Poems About Change
4. Dare To Be 5. You Decide 6. Actions Speak Louder Than Words
7. Don't You Quit 8. Poems About Failure 9. Poems About Goals
10. Letting Go Poem 11. Poems About Mistakes 12. Never Give Up Poem
13. Patience Poem 14. Smile Poems 15. Be The Best You Can Be
16. Poems About Challenges 17. Poems About Strength 18. Success Poem
19. Keep A Going Poem 20. A Life Well Lived 21. Poems About Regret
22. Poems About Truth 23. You Don't Have To Be Rich 24. The Oak Tree Poem
25.Opportunity Poems 26. Try Try Again Poem 27. Poems About Stress
28. Attitude Poems 29. Poems About Effort 30. Courage Poems
31. Poems For Teenagers 32. Poems For Women 33. Poems About Time
34. Poems About Worry  35. Poems About Perseverance 36. Poems About Hands
37. Poems About Laughter 38. Poems About Character


Popular Encouragement Poems:

    Don't give up on your dreams, you have the potential to live them out!
  1. Hold Fast Your Dreams

    2. Poet: Louise Driscoll

    Hold fast your dreams!
    Within your heart
    Keep one still, secret spot
    Where dreams may go,
    And, sheltered so,
    May thrive and grow
    Where doubt and fear are not.
    O keep a place apart,
    Within your heart,
    For little dreams to go!


  2. If Any
    3.
    Poet: Unknown

    If any little words of ours
    Can make one life the brighter;
    If any little song of ours
    Can make one heart the lighter;

    God help us speak the little word,
    And take our bit of singing,
    And drop it in some lonely vale,
    And set the echoes raging


    An uplifting poem full of encouraging verses for us to cheer each other on and to help each other
  3. As We Meet

    4. Poet: Susan Coolidge

    As we meet and touch, each day,
    The many travellers on our way,

    Let every such brief contact be
    A glorious, helpful ministry;

    The contact of the soil and seed,
    Each giving to the other's need,

    Each helping on the other's best,
    And blessing, each, as well as blest.


  4. The Two Brothers
    5.
    By Lucien M. Lewis

    There were twin brothers, we are told,
    Whose mother at their hour of birth
    To satisfy some curious whim,
    Gave them the oddest names on earth.

    She named one Can, the other, Can't,
    And, lest confusion might be made,
    She stamped their names upon their breasts.
    In letters that would never fade.

    Time passed; Can was a wondrous man,
    God-like in every thought and deed.
    And somehow everything he touched
    Straightway would prosper and succeed.

    Can't was the victim of bad luck.
    And failed at everything he tried;
    'Till finally, the story goes,
    Bad luck assailed him and he died.

    O mothers of the sons of men,
    O mothers of the race to be.
    Stamp only Can upon their breasts;
    Stamp deep that all the world may see!


    You want to get ahead, you want to enjoy life, you have ambitions, then read this poem by John Hay which encourages us to shine where we are. If we do that everything else will fall in line!
  5. Shine Just Where You Are

    6. By John Hay

    Don't waste your time in longing
    For bright, impossible things;
    Don't sit supinely yearning
    For the swiftness of wings;
    Don't spurn to be a rushlight
    Because you are not a star.
    But brighten some bit of darkness
    By shining just where you are.

    There is need of the tiniest candle
    As well as the garish sun;
    The humblest deed is ennobled
    When it is worthily done;
    You may never be called to brighten
    The darkest regions afar;
    So, fill for the day your mission
    By shining just where you are.


    An inspirational and encouraging poem about willpower
  6. Will

    7. Poet: Ella Wheeler Wilcox

    There is no chance, no destiny, no fate,
    Can circumvent or hinder or control
    The firm resolve of a determined soul.

    Gifts count for nothing; will alone is great;
    All things give way before it, soon or late.
    What obstacle can stay the mighty force
    Of the sea-seeking river in its course,
    Or cause the ascending orb of day to wait?

    Each well-born soul must win what it deserves.
    Let the fool prate of luck. The fortunate
    Is he whose earnest purpose never swerves,
    Whose slightest action or inaction serves
    The one great aim. Why, even Death stands still,
    And waits an hour sometimes for such a will.


    A poem that reminds us perseverance is a  key to success. No matter what happens - whether a failure or a mistake - don't stop, keep going!
  7. Keep Going
    8.
    Poet: Kate Summers, ©2020

    When failures come - keep going
    When you feel like giving up - keep going
    When people mock your idea - keep going
    When challenges you face - keep going
    When mistakes are made, learn - but keep going
    Because perseverance just keeps going!



    Uplifting verses that are encouraging and help us see even in challenging times in our life, we need to be optimistic and positive in our thinking.
  8. Trouble But Not Defeat

    9. Poet: Byron Pulsifer, ©2020

    Underneath our feet we find
    Those branches and thorns a grind.
    Why is so life so mean
    It is as if no other scene.

    Through life, you know, you will find
    We sometimes just close our minds.
    Those solutions we so desperately want
    All appear like yesterdays many tyrants.

    But, do not trouble or be dismayed
    There are good times on the way.
    When you look beyond the norm
    You'll find you need not conform.

    Be bold, be happy, be confident
    You are not meant to lament.
    These things so sure today
    Can vanish without delay.

    So when trouble comes your way
    Do not accept defeat and ruin your day
    Move forward with a focused view
    Stay positive in all you do.



    What do you do when life feels like it is overwhelming you, when you are feeling down, when you have lost hope? The answer is in the poem,  Move Past This.
  9. Move Past This

    10. Poem by Catherine Pulsifer, ©2019

    When you are feeling down
    And all you can muster up is a frown
    That is the time to stop
    And count your blessings until you drop.

    Focus on all of life's good
    And you will find things work out as they should
    Feeling sorry and just sitting around
    It is a sure thing to bring you down.

    Take some action, make a move
    It doesn't matter if others approve
    Nothing lasts forever
    You will move past this if you endeavor!



    Poems of Encouragement To Be Your Best


    It doesn't matter what others do, you can be the best at what you do. Encouraging verses of support and confidence that offers encouragement for you to do and be the best you can be!
  10. You Are The One

    11. Poet: Byron Pulsifer, ©2020

    There are so many who love to scorn
    They are the ones who blow one's horn.
    To cast aspersions upon the others
    They never see that they are hunters.

    They love to hunt out what looks so less
    So they can be better to confess.
    That they deserve the praises massed
    To call all others to celebrate how they've surpassed.

    But, do not despair because these so glorious called
    Are nothing more than themselves enthralled.
    You, instead, are at the top
    Not ever needing to namedrop.

    You need not dare compare
    To those who really have no flare.
    Just do your best, give it all you've got
    You will make more headway and be on top.

    It doesn't matter what others say
    You just do your best and don't be swayed
    You are the one you answer to
    And to yourself always be true.



    Find encouragement in this call to action to voice your opinion, always speak the truth, and most importantly be yourself, and live to your potential!
  11. Authenticity Declare
    12.
    Poet: Robert Rivers, ©2020

    Have you ever seen a clown
    Who is sad and has a frown?
    That makeup done shows no cracks
    But within so suffers from attacks.

    We are so often showing false
    Guarded by the hardest walls.
    Our thoughts we keep to ourself
    We put them up on a shelf.

    How we feel we don't show
    We pretend to go with the flow.
    So often, it is true that we hide
    How we really feel inside.

    For it is true I do assure
    That what we really are unsure.
    Be instead that which is true
    Be who you are has its' virtue.

    There is no reason to abide
    No reason for feelings to hide
    For we would rather know
    The real person for you to show.



    Poems to Encourage You  



    We all face challenges in life, times where we need to talk it out. This poem of encouragement reminds us to reach out and talk it out with a friend. Friends cheer each other on, offer support, and give us strength.
  12. Issues We All Face
    13.
    Poet: Robert Rivers, ©2020

    I know what you may face today
    All those issues that come your way.
    Within the dark of the night
     Gives no one any delight.

    If you think you are alone
    Simply call a friend on the phone.
    It is never beyond a true friend's scope
    To be there to help you cope.

    No matter who you are
    Those troubles are not too far.
    But, never be one to give up so quick
    We can always intervene that is the trick.

    Life issues will come and go
    Sometimes fast and sometimes slow
    Sometimes good and sometimes bad
    Giving us happy and giving us sad.

    Don't hold it in, don't be uptight
    Stand your ground, give it a fight
    Issues can cause so much stress
    But always remember that life can also bless.

    So talk it out with a friend
    You will feel better in the end.
    Issues we always face
    But talking it out makes this world a better place.



    Words of encouragement to influence how you can positively impact your life and the life of others.
  13. No Riches Within

    14. Poet: Byron Pulsifer, ©2020

    There are so, so many who have money
    But, they aren't even happy or funny.
    They scowl and often complain
    That they don't have enough to maintain.

    What is so sad to say
    These people always cry and bay.
    No matter how much
    They're always in a financial crush.

    So what is the truth?
    To know may seem uncouth.
    But this is not the problem
    So let's get to the bottom.

    Without a heart, I'd say
    Is one of the issues in array.
    To give, for them, to others now
    Is more for them then they allow.

    Without a heart, a heart of love
    They would never hereof
    The Golden Rule that is so true.
    To give to others is a blessed avenue.

    It is not possessing the money that is at fault
    It is the worshiping of money that causes the assault.
    We only need that is enough for this day
    There is no need to be any other way.



    Motivational and optimistic verses full of advice for
    living a life that will bring happiness and contentment.
  14. The Bright Side
    15.
    Poet: Lillian E Curtis

    There's many a sunbeam behind a cloud,
    And smooth waves after rough tide,
    When the weather is bleak and the winds are loud,
    We'll look on the brightest side.

    The ups and downs of this life are many,
    But the joys obscured from sight,
    By trials and troubles unknown to any,
    Are continually brought to light.



    When others disappoint you, let the following poem remind you not to judge others, and may it be a reminder that we all have strengths and weaknesses. It is easy to judgment on in others, but take a look at yourself before you do and you may find you are just as bad if not worse!
  15. Take A Walk Around Yourself

    16. Poet: Unknown

    When you're criticising others,
    And are finding, here and there,
    A fault or two to speak of
    Or a weakness you can tear:
    When you're blaming some one's weakness,
    Or accusing some of pelf -
    It's time that you went out
    To take a walk around yourself.

    There's lots of human failures
    In the average of us all,
    And lots of grave short comings
    In the short ones and the tail;
    But when we think of evils
    Men should lay upon the shelves,
    It's time we all went out
    To take a walk around ourselves.

    We need so often in this life
    This balancing of scales,
    This seeing how much in us wins
    And how much in us fails;
    But before you judge another -
    Just to lay him on the shelf -
    It would be a splendid plan
    To take a walk around yourself.



    Short Poems of Encouragement



    Encouragement which uses a tree to remind us we grow stronger by our challenges!
  16. Being Strong
    17.
    Poet: Douglas Malloch

    The tree that never had to fight
    for sun and sky and air and light
    but stood out in the open plain
    and always got it share of rain,
    never became a forest king
    but lived and died a scrubby thing.
    Good timber does not grow with ease.
    The stronger wind, the stronger trees.


    always keep your face to the sun don't let the shadows discourage you!
  17. Face The Sun
    18.
    Poet Unknown

    Don't hunt for trouble, but look for success;
    You'll find what you look for--don't look for distress.
    If you see but your shadow, remember, I pray,
    That the sun is still shining, but you're in the way.

    Don't grumble, don't bluster, don't sigh and don't shirk;
    Don't think of your worries, but think of your work.
    The worries will vanish, the work will be done,
    No man sees his shadow - who faces the sun.


    Wise words in this poem of encouragement
  18. One Task At A Time
    19.
    by Everett Wentworth Hill

    One task at a time without worry or fear;
    One day at a time though the morrow draws near;
    One deed well accomplished suffices the day -
    Start not many missions, take time out to play.

    You can't borrow sunlight from night open door;
    One task and one day is enough to explore.
    Make every hour count in the moments you spend;
    Tomorrow's a stranger, today is a friend.


    An inspirational poem with daily reminders
  19. If For One Day
    20.
    by Jane Merchant

    If for one day
    I can forget
    The nagging care,
    The needless fret;

    For one day, keep
    My spirit clear
    From anxious doubt
    And useless fear;

    If for one day
    I can believe
    In life, and joyously
    Receive

    The blessings that
    Are always mind
    Of earth and air
    And love divine -

    Oh, then at last,
    At last, I may
    Learn how to do it
    Every day.


    A powerful poem about how it is never to late
  20. Never Too Late To Mend
    21.
    Poet: Nixon Waterman

    Of course, if you mean to catch a train,
    The better way is to start in time.
    Still, if you're late.
    Don't rail at fate.
    And sob and sigh and wail and wait
    For another day,
    But sprint away
    The very best you can until
    You find your vow
    To "do it now"
    Has somehow made you catch it still;
    For the sages say
    The world makes way
    For the earnest soul that says, "I will!"

    If you mean to win in life's swift race,
    The better way is to start in youth;
    Still, if you find
    You've been left behind
    By the wiser starters, keep in mind
    "Your needs and say,
    "I'll improve each day,
    And every hour and each spare minute;
    I've been careless, yet
    I shall try to get
    A prize!" And you stand a chance to win it;
    But the weak-willed goose
    With his "What's the use?"
    Alas! we know he won't be in it.


  21. Poor Richard's Sayings

    22. by Benjamin Franklin

    Little strokes fell great oaks.
    One to-day is worth two to-morrows.
    There are no gains without pains.
    Whate'er's begun in anger ends in shame.

    Diligence is the mother of good luck.
    He that riseth late must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night.
    What we call time enough always proves little enough.
    Laziness travels so slowly that Poverty soon overtakes him.

    He that is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
    Constant dropping will wear out a stone.
    Early to bed and early to rise,
    make a man healthy, and wealthy, and wise.


  22. We Shall Be Satisfied

    23. Poet: S. K. Phillips

    The course of the weariest river
    Ends in the great, gray sea;
    The acorn forever and ever
    Strives upward to the tree;
    The rainbow, the sky adorning,
    Shines promise through the storm;
    The glimmer of coming morning
    Through midnight gloom will form.
    By time all knots are riven,
    Complex although they be,
    And peace will at last be given,
    Dear, both to you and me.

    Then, though the path be dreary,
    Look forward to the goal;
    Though the heart and the head be weary,
    Let faith inspire the soul;
    Seek the right, though the wrong be tempting;
    Speak the truth at any cost;
    Vain is all weak exempting
    When once that gem is lost;
    Let strong hand and keen eye be ready
    For plain or ambushed foes;
    Thought earnest and fancy steady
    Bear best unto the close.

    The heavy clouds may be raining,
    But with evening comes the light;
    Through the dark, low winds complaining,
    Yet the sunrise gilds the height;
    And Love has his hidden treasure
    For the patient and the pure;
    And Time gives his fullest measure
    To the workers who endure;
    And the word that no lore has shaken
    Has the future pledge supplied;
    For we know that when we "awaken "
    We shall be "satisfied."


  23. The Gifts

    24. Poet: Berton Braley

    May these be yours
    The Gifts that make the Dreamers into Doers,
    The Gift to work

    Through Joy and Sorrow, Light or Murk,
    To play, with all your soul and heart,
    A manly part!

    The Gift of Discontent, to keep you driving
    Forward and up, forever striving
    For something better in the days hereafter;
    The Gift of Kindness and the Gift of Laughter,
    And all the gifts of Love and Faith and Friends,
    Of Justice and of Truth,
    And in your heart, until life's journey ends,
    The Priceless Gift of Youth,
    Hope that inspires and Courage that endures,
    May all these Gifts be Yours!


  24. We Do Not Care

    25. Poet: Will D. Muse

    We do not care what the world may say
    If those whom we love are true;
    We do not mind the toil of the day
    If we know in the dusk and the dew
    There waits some one who will welcome us
    As we come home to rest
    Some friends who will say, "Dear heart, I know
    That to-day you have done your best."

    We do not mind if the thorns are sharp,
    Or the pathway is rough and steep;
    We do not mind if we plow and sow
    For others to come and reap.
    If we can but hear, when the twilight comes
    And the red in the West grows gray,
    Some dear voice whisper these words of cheer:
    "You have fought a good fight to-day."

    For the heart don't care what the world may say
    If those whom it loves are true,
    For 'twas ever and always the heart's own way
    To long for the love and rue.
    You forget the gain, the loss, and the pain
    That tortures your pulsing breast,
    If there's one who always in sweet, blind faith
    Can say: "You have done your best."


  25. If We

    26. Poet: Adele E. Ingersoll

    If we noticed little pleasures
    As we notice little pains;
    If we quite forget our losses
    And remember all our gains;
    If we looked for people's virtues,
    And their faults refused to see;
    What a comfortable, happy,
    Cheerful place this world would be!


  26. Road Of Life

    27. Poet: Unknown

    There is many a rose in the road of life
    If we would only stop to take it;
    And many a tone from the better land
    If the querulous heart would make it;
    To the sunny soul that is full of hope
    And whose beautiful trust ne'er faileth,
    The grass is green and the flowers are bright
    Though the winter storm prevaileth.

    Better to hope, though the clouds hand low,
    And to keep the eyes still lifted;
    For the sweet blue sky will still peep through
    When the ominous clouds are rifted!
    There was never a night without a day,
    Or an evening without a morning;
    And the darkest hour, as the proverb goes,
    Is the hour before the dawning.

    There is many a gem in the path of life,
    Which we pass in our idle pleasure,
    That is richer far than the jewelled crown,
    Or the miser's hoarded treasure;
    It may be the love of a little child,
    Or a mother's prayers to heaven,
    Or only a beggar's grateful thanks
    For a cup of water given.

    Better to weave in the web of life
    A bright and golden filling,
    And to do God's will with a ready heart,
    And hands that are swift and willing.
    Than to snap the slender, delicate threads
    Of our curious life asunder,
    And then blame Heaven for the tangled ends,
    And sit and grieve and wonder.


  27. The Aim Of Life

    28. Poet: Philip James Bailey

    We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths;
    In feelings, not in figures on a dial.
    We should count time by heart-throbs when they beat;
    For God, for man, for duty. He most lives
    Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best;
    And he whose heart beats quickest, lives the longest -
    Lives in an hour more than in years do some
    Whose fat blood sleeps as it slips along their veins.
    Life is but a means to an end; that end,
    Beginning, mean, and end to all things - God.


    A great poem to remind us to give others encouragement and support!
  28. A Pat on the Back

    29. Poet: Edgar A. Guest

    A pat on the back is a wonderful thing.
    It gives a man courage to whistle and sing;
    When hope is departing, the outlook is grim,
    A pat on the back then says volumes to him.
    It whispers: "Keep at it!  You're doing all right,
    Just dig in your toes and get busy and fight,
    There's one man behind you, go to it, old man.
    One pal who is sure that you can, that you can."

    A pat on the back from a stranger or friend
    When your jaw starts to sag and your knees start to bend
    Will bring you right up with new courage and grit
    And you'll keep in the fight when you were going to quit,
    You'll feel it, you'll hear it - yes, actually hear it -
    For hours saying "dig in, old fellow. Don't fear it.
    That isn't as hard as it looks. Be a man.
    There's a fellow back there who believes that you can."

    Just a pat on the back. And for days and for days,
    No matter how far you may roam, it still stays
    By your side, and no matter how hard be your fight
    It's whispering always: ''You'll come out all right.
    There's a fellow back there who's believing in you.
    Expecting each minute to see you come through
    With your colors still flying and leading your clan!"
    And the first thing you know you are saying: ''I can."

    Oh, a pat on the back is a wonderful thing.
    The touch of it's magic; I've known it to bring
    Back hopes that were fleeting, and strength that seemed gone
    And smiles that had vanished and urge a man on
    When it seemed that he couldn't one step advance more
    Till he conquered. And that's what I'm singing this for;
    If you see a poor brother whose nerve's out of whack.
    Just step up and give him a pat on the back.


  29. I Will

    30. Poet: David V. Bush

    I will, I can, I will!
    Says he who means to win.
    For there's no power this side of death
    Can shut and keep him in.

    I will, I can, I will!
    Is the slogan that never fails.
    And there's no power on land or sea
    To keep down that man's sails.

    I will, I can, I will!
    Has turned the world around
    And saved a people many times
    When others thought them, down.

    I will, I can, I will!
    Obstacles I'll defy!
    For there's no power can beat a man
    Who never will say, "die."


  30. Good Times

    31. Poet: Unknown

    Good times they are comin'.
    Don't stand in their way;
    Git onto the curbstone.
    An' give 'em full sway.
    Don't block up the traffic.
    Don't hinder their pace;
    Good times they are comin',
    Make way for the race!

    Good times they are comin',
    Push, push on behind;
    Don't scowl at the pageant,
    Be cheerful an' kind.
    Encourage the drummin'
    With smiles on your face;
    Good times they are coming
    Make way for the race!

Famous Poems of Encouragement by Famous Poets:

  1. Be Not Discouraged     by Daniel C. Colesworthy


  2. Cinderella Poem     by Patience Strong


  3. It Cannot Be Done And They Know It     by David V. Bush


  4. You'll Strike Your Stride     by David V. Bush


  5. Retaliation    by Arthur Franklin Fuller


  6. Shadows    by Patience Strong


  7. Face The Sunshine    by Strickland Gillilan


  8. Don't Be Impatient     by Daniel C. Colesworthy


  9. The Secret Of Success    by Nixon Waterman


  10. The Joy Of Life    by Berton Braley


  11. Door Of Daring     by Henry VanDyke


  12. Never Say I Can't     by J.J. Thorne


  13. Oh! Tell Me Not     by Mary C. Ryan


  14. Solitude     by Ella Wheeler Wilcox


  15. Give Every Day     by Daniel C. Colesworthy


  16. Think Before We Speak     by J.J. Thorne


  17. Transform The Common Task     by William Arthur Ward


  18. Truth    by Daniel C. Colesworthy


  19. Do It Better     by David V. Bush


  20. Never Despair    by Lillian E. Curtis


  21. Lend A Hand    by Lillian E. Curtis


  22. Never Say Fail    by Daniel C. Colesworthy


  23. Which Side Of The Bed     by David V. Bush


  24. My Regrets To The Man Who Gives Up     by David V. Bush


  25. Do Not Lose Your Pep     by David V. Bush


  26. The Successful Man     by David V. Bush


  27. The Gift     by Patience Strong


  28. What So Wild As Words Are . . .    by Wilhelmina Stitch


  29. Be A Booster     by David V. Bush


  30. Hero Wanted     by Berton Braley


  31. The Hills Ahead     by Douglas Malloch


  32. You Have To Believe     by Douglas Malloch


  33. Encouraging Poetry     by Douglas Malloch


  34. It Couldn't Be Done     by Edgar A. Guest


  35. The Junk Box     by Edgar Guest


  36. The Recipe    by Berton Braley


  37. Opportunity    by Berton Braley


  38. Start Where You Stand    by Berton Braley


  39. The Builders    by Berton Braley


  40. Little Further    by Berton Braley
All Poems sorted by topic to encourage, and inspire

The poems here are also great to include in a card - graduation, get well, congratulations - no matter what the occasion you will find poems to provide encouragement and inspiration.

To quote the words of encouragement said by William Arthur Ward,
"Flatter me, and I may not believe you.
Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.
Encourage me, and I will not forget you."


Share the verses in these poems and you may positively influence a person's life. And, We agree with the words of Jim Stovall, "You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help each other, everybody wins." Promoting and fostering each other's strengths is a great form of encouragement. We all need hope for a better tomorrow and you can give that hope with encouragement to your friends, family, and coworkers.

We hope our collection gives you poems of encouragement for yourself and to share with others!



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