12 Opportunity Poems
When reading these opportunity poems, you may be reminded of a moment when a chance appeared, and you had to decide whether to step forward or hold back.
Updated January 13, 2026, by Catherine Pulsifer
Opportunities come into our lives in many ways. Some are clear and obvious, while others are quiet and easy to overlook. At times we take them with confidence, and at other times we let them pass, unsure of what the outcome might be.
It is easy to look at others who seem successful and believe they were simply lucky. In truth, many of them faced fear, doubt, and failure just like anyone else. The difference often lies in their willingness to try, even when the outcome was uncertain. Fear of failure can keep us from moving ahead, yet avoiding risk often keeps us standing still.
Past disappointments can also make new opportunities feel risky. When we have failed before, it is natural to hesitate. But failure does not define us. It teaches us, strengthens us, and prepares us for the next chance that comes our way.
Opportunities surround us each day. The choice we face is whether we will let past failures shape our future, or whether we will step forward with hope. May these poems encourage you to see opportunity with fresh eyes, to act with courage, and to trust that something better can still lie ahead.
Opportunities Rise Again
You tried before, but it went all wrong,
The road was rough, the climb too long.
Disappointment lingers, whispers doubt,
Telling you to sit it out.
But failure is not where dreams must end,
It’s just a lesson, not the end.
The ones who rise, who stand once more,
Are those who’ve lost—but dared explore.
Each stumble teaches, each fall refines,
Success is built through tested times.
So when a chance knocks on your door,
Step ahead—try once more!
Opportunity
Opportunity knocks many times every day,
And if carelessly slighted departs on its way;
But it never evades you, for some time again,
It is sure to return — and if seized, will remain!
You must study its aspect and know how to take
Every chance that is offered, its friendship to make;
You must cherish a faith that it some day will bless
The dull course of your life, and turn ills to success.
Believe in its coming with mind strong and keen.
And be sure that you know it, when once it is seen;
It may come in the sun, yet look still in the storm.
For misfortunes may show you its bright beaming form.
Each night the great sun nestles down in the west.
But next morning returns with the same ardent zest;
So remember whenever you fall by the way.
That a new opportunity waits you next day!
No care is so trying, no failure so great,
That you can't find a new chance to battle with fate.
Watch close for your boon, for it's e'er on the wing,
And the end of your trials at last it will bring.
Gain knowledge and courage, seek wisdom and light,
Lest you miss the fleet chance when it looms into sight;
Every minute improve, and dismiss the dull past.
Nor believe that old woes 'til the morrow will last.
Through the star-studded night and the noonday's blue vault,
Floats benign Opportunity, never to halt;
It is knocking each hour, and it calls loud and clear,
So be watchful and ready to answer, "I'm here!"
Opportunity
So long as men shall be on earth
There will be tasks for them to do.
Some way for them to show their worth;
Each day shall bring its problems new.
And men shall dream of mightier deeds
Than ever have been done before:
There always shall be human needs
For men to work and struggle for.
Opportunities Do Not Hang About
Delay thy tasks and haste not, and you shall miss the boat.
Hesitate, procrastinate, releasing grip with every bloat;
Musters of golden chances pass ever so swift and fleet.
Laundry of days pile up, tardy actions cause defeats;
Pity the opportunity that comes ere it departs
For those who procrastinate have no regard;
Treasures of doors swing open but if late you arrive
Delayed actions, the opportunity does not survive.
For opportunities rarely hang about,
And when they're gone, on nothing can you count.
If you wish for a bright future tomorrow
Then do it today and you'll have no sorrow.
Most Out Of Life
The man who gets most out of life is
The man who takes advantage of every opportunity
And neglects no chance to enlarge his field of observation
And extend his experiences.
The more mosaics we work into our allotted years
The nearer our life will be worth living.
My Outlook
My outlook on life can see an array of opportunities galore.
Do I believe in opportunities or just choose to ignore?
One way brings optimism, embracing the world and its joys
The other hides beneath a cloud, hearing only the noise.
The choice is mine, a fork in the road with various outcomes ahead.
Do I have an attitude of ambition or fear, one of optimism or dread?
For if I just choose to exist, good fortune may slip away in the night,
But an attitude of abundant opportunity will bring me happiness bright.
Opportunities
Opportunities for Christian work
Are constantly slipping by.
We recognize them too late. . . .
Opportunities for patience, forbearance,
Meekness, self-denial, courage.
Opportunities for honoring God —
For bringing friends to Christ.
These are continually coming and going —
Coming? Yes — but also going as surely
And rapidly as minutes go.
How full of good work our life would be
If we lost no opportunity.
Three Things
Remember three things come not back:
The arrow sent upon its track —
It will not swerve, it will not stay
Its speed; it flies to wound or slay.
The spoken word, so soon forgot
By thee; but it has perished not:
In other hearts 'tis living still,
And doing work for good or ill.
And the lost opportunity,
That cometh back no more to thee.
In vain thou weepest, in vain dost yearn.
Those three will nevermore return.
Opportunity
Day-dreaming in my chair I sit
And watch dream- visions past me flit:
One, beautiful, and fair, and grand.
Beckons with airy, fairy hand.
Then smiles and points to Fortune's gate,
And bids me not procrastinate.
But sluggard-like within my chair
I see this vision sweetly fair,
Until at last she disappears.
And I, with eyes bedimmed with tears.
Awaken with a sudden start
And cry, "Oh, tell me who thou art?*'
The answer made me sorely grieve,
Although such as we oft receive;
"The vision that you chanced to see
Was life's best opportunity;
And this the lesson it would teach.
Neglected, 'tis beyond thy reach."
For Opportunity
Try always to be ahead of your position
and increase your efficiency.
Having started, learn your business
thoroughly from the ground up.
Always remember that what you save,
and not what you earn, counts.
Consider carefully your natural bent,
whether for business or a profession.
Take stock of yourself and try to determine
what business you are best fitted for.
Work with all your energy and
do everything as well as you can,
not merely well enough to pass muster.
Of course, the fact that we know something of
how the other man did it does not prove that we,
too, will achieve a large measure of success.
The personal element is always an important factor.
Many men fail even when they are trying to put
the highest kind of rules and regulations into effect.
But it is better for them to try and fail
than not to try at all, or to succeed through base
methods and ignoble motives.
Small Things
He who overlooks a small occasion will have
Lost his eyesight when a great one comes.
Never wait for a chance to do good,
Never seek for some great thing,
But improve each small opportunity as it comes to you,
And some day you will be surprised to find that
The truly great occasion of your life would have been
Overlooked had you not been keeping track of the small things.
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Conclusion
Opportunity is not always loud or obvious. Many times it comes quietly through a new idea, a change in routine, or a simple choice to try again. These poems remind us that missed chances do not have to define us. Each day gives us another moment to learn, to grow, and to move forward.
If you have faced setbacks, take heart. Failure can teach us what to do differently next time, and it can help build courage. When a new opportunity appears, do not let fear be the decision maker. Choose progress, even if the steps are small. A brighter future often begins when we take one step and keep going.
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