To live as gently as I can;
To be, no matter where, a man;
To take what comes of good or ill
And cling to faith and honor still;
To do my best, and let that stand
The record of my brain and hand;
And then, should failure come to me,
Still work and hope for victory.
To have no secret place wherein
I stoop unseen to shame or sin;
To be the same when I'm alone
As when my every deed is known;
To live undaunted, unafraid
Of any step that I have made;
To be without pretense or sham
Exactly what men think I am.
To leave some simple mark behind
To keep my having lived in mind;
If enmity to aught I show,
To be an honest, generous foe,
To play my little part, nor whine
That greater honors are not mine.
This, I believe, is all I need
For my philosophy and creed.
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Comments
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From guest Kbomb (contact)
I like this poem, it's very meaningful and connects with the book called Siddhartha, everybody should read it. -
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This is lovely.
Does anyone know where I can find the complete poem of Edgar Albert Guest's that this excerpt comes from?
The Gentle Man
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This his success, that at the end
Men mourned the passing of a friend.
-Edgar Guest
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The Gentle Man
Edgar A Guest was a most prolific writer. He published newspaper pieces (usually poems) 7 days a week for over 30 years so his collected works would be a big volume.
It is not in "Just Folks" or "When day is Done" which are the ones that started me reading his work.
If any other reader knows the answer please put both ea and I out of our bafflement.
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my creed
From guest ffdssad (contact)
my creed is i very inspirational poem it changed my life well almost -
Where has it gone
From guest Bill Pressgrove (contact)
I long to see this kind of a creed among our high school students. Maybe I don't remember all the bad that happened when I was in high school (42 years ago) but it sure seems like there was more honesty and integrity back then. -
Falling tears.....
Oh, my good Lord! How I do Love this man. The poetry and philosophy.....it seems as if every piece of his I read reaches out and touches me, deeply.
I don't believe I've come across a more consistent, consumate poet.
Lord, let me meet this man some day in heaven.
Thank you George Berry, for introducing me to this man!
Sincerely,
~ Janet ~ -
So true and honest
From guest Bob Salters (contact)
I bought his book of poetry back in the early 70's and love his poetry. I still have the book as it is very special to me. He wrote on many subjects but all were honest and straight forward. -
A TREASURE
From guest ARLENE CARRUTHERS (contact)
E.A. GUEST IS ONE OF THE BEST POETS TO INSPIRE. WHAT A TREASURE HE CREATED WITH "MY CREED". -
These few lines should appear on every schoolroom wall. They are well crafted and deceptively simple yet embody great poetry and great wisdom.
Guest was famous for his homely verses and was an inspiration for many in his day. I for one would not be unhappy if such sentiments once again gained favour. -
My Creed
From guest Bob Mount (contact)
This poem was read at my fathers funeral. It was such an accurate description of him. I wish i could live up to it. -
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From guest Susan Bates (contact)
I just learned that my grandmother loved poetry and Guest was one of her favorite poets. -
I want to attach this to my resume'
This is one every young man should learn in high school. -
Very nice. Much like "If" by Kipling
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This is an awesome philosophy by which to live.
And I absolutely adore poetry that adheres to its form all the way through. It makes the whole thing easier and more pleasant to read.
I want to give the author a hug.
Hope he knows this is appreciated.
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There's some thing about this poem that's so honest. It reminded me of the quote that's something about a man's character meeting him on the street and not recognizing the reputation. Any how I think this is one for a chicken soup for the soul book, maybe then it would be honored more often
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I really like this philosphy. This one's a keeper.
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