Keep Tryin’: The Grit That Turns Setbacks into Strength
Life will knock you down, but grit isn’t about staying down — it’s about rising again, no matter how many times.
Keep Tryin’
Edwin Carty Ranck
When you’re feelin’ blue as ink
An’ your spirits ‘gin to sink,
Don’t be weak an’ take a drink
But
Keep Tryin’.
There are times when all of us
Get riled up and start a muss,
But there ain’t no use to cuss,
Just
Keep Tryin’.
When things seem to go awry,
And the sun deserts your sky,
Don’t sit down somewhere and cry,
But
Keep Tryin’.
Everybody honors grit,
Men who never whine a bit–
Men who tell the world, “I’m IT”
And
Keep Tryin’.
Get a hustle on you NOW,
Make a great, big solemn vow
That you’ll win out anyhow,
And
Keep Tryin’.
All the world’s a battlefield
Where the true man is revealed,
But the ones who never yield
Keep Tryin’.
Poignant Reflection:
Edwin Carty Ranck’s Keep Tryin’ is a rallying cry for resilience. Life, with all its bruises and unexpected turns, can tempt us to surrender — to bitterness, anger, or despair. Yet Ranck reminds us that grit, not ease, earns honor. The poem’s simple refrain — “Keep Tryin’” — becomes a drumbeat of hope, urging us to rise when knocked down, to smile instead of curse, to vow to keep pushing even when skies turn gray.
This isn’t blind optimism. It’s the courage to move forward despite pain, the faith that effort today shapes tomorrow, and the quiet strength to choose perseverance over defeat. The world reveals true character not when life runs smoothly, but when trials test us. Those who endure — who keep trying — leave a legacy of strength that outlasts any setback.
Questions to Help the Reader Dive Deeper:
- Think of a recent setback: how might “keep tryin’” have changed your response?
- What small vow could you make today to strengthen your resilience?
- How does perseverance — more than talent or luck — shape the way others see you?