Doors of Daring ~ A Poem by Henry Van Dyke

What if the barriers in your life weren’t obstacles—but invitations to rise, risk, and live fully?

Doors of Daring

Henry Van Dyke

The mountains that enfold the vale
    With walls of granite, steep and high,
Invite the fearless foot to scale
    Their stairway toward the sky.

The restless, deep, dividing sea
    That flows and foams from shore to shore,
Calls to its sunburned chivalry,
    “Push out, set sail, explore!”

And all the bars at which we fret,
    That seem to prison and control,
Are but the doors of daring, set
    Ajar before the soul.

Say not, “Too poor,” but freely give;
    Sigh not, “Too weak,” but boldly try,
You never can begin to live
    Until you dare to die.

Source

Reflection:

In Doors of Daring, Van Dyke paints life not as a smooth path, but a rugged climb up granite cliffs, a wild voyage across open seas. These aren’t metaphors of despair—they’re summons to courage. He dares us to see limitations as opportunities for the soul to rise. The final stanza delivers the boldest challenge of all: true living begins only when we’re brave enough to risk comfort, safety, and self-imposed limits. In the poet’s world, freedom isn’t handed to us—it’s taken with boldness, heart first.

If you’ve been playing it safe, maybe today is the day to push that door open, even if it creaks.

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🤔 Three Questions to Reflect Deeper:

1. What “bars” in your life might actually be doors of daring left slightly ajar?
2. How have fear or comfort zones kept you from setting sail or scaling your personal mountain?
3. What part of you must metaphorically “die” in order for a braver version of you to truly live?