Keep A-Pluggin’ Away: Perseverance’s Quiet Power
When storms rise and paths grow steep, it’s not talent or luck that carries us through—it’s steady perseverance and the will to keep moving forward.
Keep A-Pluggin’ Away
Paul Laurence Dunbar
I’VE a humble little motto
That is homely, though it’s true, —
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
It’s a thing when I’ve an object
That I always try to do, —
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
When you’ve rising storms to quell,
When opposing waters swell,
It will never fail to tell, —
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
If the hills are high before
And the paths are hard to climb,
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
And remember that successes
Come to him who bides his time, —
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
From the greatest to the least,
None are from the rule released.
Be thou toiler, poet, priest,
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
Delve away beneath the surface,
There is treasure farther down, —
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
Let the rain come down in torrents,
Let the threat’ning heavens frown,
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
When the clouds have rolled away,
There will come a brighter day
All your labor to repay, —
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
There ‘ll be lots of sneers to swallow.
There’ll be lots of pain to bear, —
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
If you’ve got your eye on heaven,
Some bright day you’ll wake up there,
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
Perseverance still is king;
Time its sure reward will bring;
Work and wait unwearying,—
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
Paul Laurence Dunbar’s Keep A-Pluggin’ Away is a timeless reminder that success isn’t found in sudden bursts of luck or brilliance but in the quiet, consistent steps we take forward. Life will always bring storms, steep climbs, and moments when giving up feels easier than holding on. Yet it’s in those moments, when persistence seems hardest, that true character is formed. The poem encourages us to look beyond immediate obstacles, to trust that patience and perseverance will uncover treasures hidden beneath life’s surface. With faith, effort, and endurance, brighter days inevitably follow the clouds. Dunbar’s voice is gentle but firm: don’t stop, don’t surrender—keep a-pluggin’ away.
Questions to Dive Deeper
- How has perseverance in your own life led to an unexpected reward or breakthrough?
- What practices help you keep moving forward when you feel worn down by obstacles?
- Where in your life right now do you most need the reminder to “keep a-pluggin’ away”?