It Couldn't Be Done
How many times have you been told, it couldn't be done? And, as Edgar Guest points out so clearly, "There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done, there are thousands to prophesy failure".
"Some voices will doubt you, but your own voice gets to decide what you try."
Updated February 16, 2026, by Catherine Pulsifer.
This poem has a steady message that still fits life today. Many of us have heard words like, you cannot do that, or, it will never work. Sometimes those words come from others, and sometimes they come from our own thoughts. Edgar A. Guest reminds us that doubt is common, but it does not have to be in charge. The turning point often comes when a person stops arguing with the doubters and simply begins. You may not feel ready, you may not see the whole path, but you can take the first step. That first step builds confidence, and confidence helps you keep going. If you need a reminder to try again, this poem offers one in a simple and encouraging way.
It Couldn't Be Done
Somebody said that it couldn’t be done
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn’t," but he would be one
Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it!
Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you’ll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it;"
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat
And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it.
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure,
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you’ll do it.
Joseph Morris wrote this about the poem It Couldn't Be Done:
After a thing has been done, everybody is ready to declare it easy. But before it has been done, it is called impossible. One reason why people fear to embark upon great enterprises is that they see all the difficulties at once. They know they could succeed in the initial tasks, but they shrink from what is to follow. Yet a thing begun is half done.
Moreover the surmounting of the first barrier gives strength and ingenuity for the harder ones beyond. Mountains viewed from a distance seem to be unscalable. But they can be climbed, and the way to begin is to take the first upward step. From that moment the mountains are less high. As Hannibal led his army across the foothills, then among the upper ranges, and finally over the loftiest peaks and passes of the Alps, or as Peary pushed farther and farther into the solitudes that encompass the North Pole, so can you achieve any purpose whatsoever if you heed not the doubters, meet each problem as it arises, and keep ever with you the assurance It Can Be Done.
Key Messages in this poem:
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Do not let doubt decide for you.
Many people will predict failure, but their opinions are not your limit.
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Action comes before confidence.
You do not have to feel fearless to begin. You start, and courage grows as you work.
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A positive attitude helps you keep going.
The poem shows a person who keeps a grin and a song, even while doing hard work.
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Stop talking about it and get to it.
Taking off your coat and going to it is a picture of choosing effort over excuses.
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One step can change the whole story.
When you begin, the problem starts to shrink and the next step becomes clearer.
Popular Pages
If this poem encouraged you, these pages offer more words to help you keep going with hope and determination.
Conclusion
It Couldn't Be Done is a clear reminder that doubt will always be nearby, but it does not have to lead you. You may hear many reasons to quit before you begin, yet progress comes when you choose effort anyway. Keep your focus on what you can do today, not on the noise around you. Start with one step, then take the next. Often the real proof comes after you begin, when the work is finished and the results are seen. Let this poem encourage you to try, even if others say you cannot.
More Edgar A. Guest Poems to Inspire
"Small steps, taken steadily, can lead to outcomes you once thought were out of reach."