Classic Poem

Man is what he wills to be—that is not a saying, but it is true;
I have had this experience, and it may be so with you,
Man need not worry about his fate, but let him take a stand;
It makes no difference what turns up, I will be a noble man.

And then he will work right to that end and every effort make
To build a towering monument to his credit grand and great,
And if he keeps on moving, doesn't stop to think of fate,
He will be the lucky man that the whole world calls great.

Then man is what he wills to be,
Either little, much or great;
He can make himself a world of power,
Or bring on a shameful fate.

I started out in life alone to win my way or die,
To make my life count something or would know the reason why,
And when the first effort had made discouraging and yet
I just put on a little pluck and pushed right to the gate.

Now it is more than a notion, fellowman, to take your place in life;
You have got to struggle hard and make a sacrifice,
But you feel better in the end when you look back and think
Of all the knocks you have undergone, and now your chain is linked.

Life is not worth living, fellow-woman, if you never have a lick,
You can appreciate success when it comes thick;
Sometimes I was up, sometimes I was down, and I would stop and think,
“This world is individuals, and each must take his place,”
I would brighten up and start afresh, and say “I will win the race.”

So man is what he wills to be; God put him here to think,
Not like the dumb beast of the field, to only eat and drink,
He gave to man a glorious gift of knowing good from bad,
That he might be partaker of the good and scorner of the bad.

God gave man brain to think and faculties to act,
Gave him power to sail the seas and ride upon the winds,
To dive down in the mighty deep and bring up costly gems,
To dig the coal out of the earth that heats and gives us light,
And with a million other gifts I cannot name that is right.