13 Poems About Surviving and Resilience

Published June 11, 2024

Reading or hearing an encouraging word or two can mean a lot in our darkest moments. Especially if those words reflect our pain, anguish, and desperation. That is why we’ve compiled this list of poems about surviving.

Penned by famous authors, these poems give voice to the sufferings we choose to endure in silence. It puts into words what we ourselves wouldn’t dare to express.

But at the same time, it also speaks of the strength and resilience of the human spirit. It narrates courage in times of uncertainty, hopes in desperation, and might in weakness. Their words provide motivation, relief, and comfort to a weary soul.

Poems About Surviving and Resilience

Here are some of the best poems about surviving and resilience to help you through these tough times.

1. Good Timber

by: Douglas Malloch

The tree that never had to fight

For sun and sky and air and light,

But stood out in the open plain

And always got its share of rain,

Never became a forest king

But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil

To gain and farm his patch of soil,

Who never had to win his share

Of sun and sky and light and air,

Never became a manly man

But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease,

The stronger wind, the stronger trees,

The further sky, the greater length,

The more the storm, the more the strength.

By sun and cold, by rain and snow,

In trees and men, good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth

We find the patriarchs of both.

And they hold counsel with the stars

Whose broken branches show the scars

Of many winds and much of strife.

This is the common law of life.

2. Still Here

by: Langston Hughes

I been scarred and battered.

My hopes the wind done scattered.

Snow has friz me,

Sun has baked me,

Looks like between ’em they done

Tried to make me

Stop laughin’, stop lovin’, stop livin’–

But I don’t care!

I’m still here!

3. Hope Is The Thing With Feathers

by: Emily Dickinson

‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers –

That perches in the soul –

And sings the tune without the words –

And never stops – at all –

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –

And sore must be the storm –

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm –

I’ve heard it in the chillest land –

And on the strangest Sea –

Yet – never – in Extremity,

It asked a crumb – of me.

4. Life is Fine

by: Langston Hughes

I went down to the river,

I set down on the bank.

I tried to think but couldn’t,

So I jumped in and sank.

I came up once and hollered!

I came up twice and cried!

If that water hadn’t a-been so cold

I might’ve sunk and died.

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!

I took the elevator

Sixteen floors above the ground.

I thought about my baby

And thought I would jump down.

I stood there and I hollered!

I stood there and I cried!

If it hadn’t a-been so high

I might’ve jumped and died.

But it was High up there! It was high!

So since I’m still here livin’,

I guess I will live on.

I could’ve died for love—

But for livin’ I was born

Though you may hear me holler,

And you may see me cry—

I’ll be dogged, sweet baby,

If you gonna see me die.

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!

5. If

by: Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

6. Secret Of Happiness

by: Navdeep Babbar

When sadness fills your heart,

When tears make you fall apart,

When it’s gloomy all around,

When you hear a silent killing sound,

When love loses its meaning,

When you always end up screaming,

When hope is lost and faith is shattered,

When you have lost every battle that mattered,

That is gifted time in life

Because God is with you when you struggle and strife.

Don’t let it go, for there’s much you may learn

‘Cause happiness is gained only when you yearn.

This dark night will soon end in day.

We will laugh again and play.

Spring will come very soon.

Our fate will again shine like moon.

Hopes dashed to the ground will again be honored and crowned.

Desire left alone will never be drowned.

The dazzling light from above will fall on us.

It will begin the process of all sorrow minus and all joys plus.

He’ll say life is waiting for you.

Angels and love are in your crew.

Now don’t ever shed a single tear

‘Cause I’ll always be there.