A New Gem
Ever vigilant to discover gems that you might use, I spotted a new one this morning. I thought this would be a great way to introduce poetry. So, without any further explanation, here goes:
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 took off his hat
And the first thing he knew he’d begun it.
With the lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
If any doubt rose he forbid it;
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 right in with a bit of a grin,
Then 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.
-Anonymous
I hope you enjoyed this little poem and can think of a creative way to use it in your classroom to motivate your students. Have a great day, and go tackle that thing!