“The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poet


Hard Work
Pass It On®
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Your Comments
Fred Golo from Ghana MARCH 3, 2024
I had it as my rhyme in class 2 on our day and it has never left me.

Mpilo Moyo from Johannesburg  OCTOBER 8, 2023
I got the quote written in large font for display in a private school ,The Metropolitan College in Johannesburg,it has always been mantra whenever l hustled even working very early and knocking very late ....

Leonard and from FL SEPTEMBER 26, 2023
I learned this quote in primary schools in Jamaica in the 60s

John Inah Ukam from Nigeria SEPTEMBER 20, 2023
It is a very common quote in my family. My parents use them quite often. We cited our father's Sylvester Ukam Uno regular use of the piece to motivate us in his funeral program. This quotation helped me immensely.

Alex from Tacoma, WA, USA APRIL 3, 2023
My high school German teacher recited this almost daily. Then he would give us a wink and say, "There are only a few of us left."

Denzel from St. Maarten MAY 27, 2022
My mother grew up in the 80's and would recite this to me year after year when i was a kid growing up, because it was something her mother used to say to her as a child. Im getting this tattooed and will be passing it down to my children later on when i do hve some

Keith from Ipswich, England MAY 25, 2022
This inspirational passage was very often quoted by the great Jamaican DJ I-Roy. He was a Customs Officer and a well-educated man who sadly died in poverty in November 1999.

Marvin from Guyana APRIL 2, 2022
Extremely great

Chinenye from Nigeria  MARCH 16, 2022
My secondary school used to hang a huge banner with these words in the school hall during every Prize-giving ceremony. Truly inspiring!

Joseph Anglierepie from Kintampo South FEBRUARY 19, 2022
Absolutely true

Emmanuel Okon from Nigeria JANUARY 24, 2022
This quote really helped me when I was much younger.

Carla Samuels-Heron from Kingston, Jamaica DECEMBER 16, 2021
A friend of mine thought me this quote, while I was in high school. I have thought this quote to my son, who is now at University. It is my hope that he will pass it on to his children.

Jacob Dreyer from Scotland OCTOBER 8, 2021
My grandmother said this to me every time she brought me tea while I was doing school homework at my desk. Tomorrow I am handing the desk to my grandson, and Longfellow's words will be in the top drawer.

Marjorie Ryan from Knightsville Yallahs St Thomas Jamaica  SEPTEMBER 6, 2021
With hard work and dedication faith and determination you will win the race you are set out for.

Anonymous JUNE 29, 2021
Amazing story

Marlene Mark from Trinidad& Tobago JUNE 12, 2021
My Dad's mantra! Now mine too!

Cephas C. Glavee from GHANA APRIL 12, 2021
My JSS headmaster, may his soul rest in peace, said this quote every Monday at morning assembly about 22 years ago.

Evelet from Jamaica 🇯🇲 MARCH 6, 2021
This was taught to us in primary school very powerful words I still use it as part of my motivation

Shobha from NJ USA 🇺🇸  JANUARY 23, 2021
Action work struggle , extra effort leads to great success

Lokesh Kumar from Delhi, India JANUARY 17, 2021
Very good quote. I tried to remind it after 12 years. I am inspired by the message being conveyed by saying.

Annie from South Africa  DECEMBER 15, 2020
My English teacher gave this quote to me 60 years ago. I recited it yesterday to somebody in a conversation.

Anonymous AUGUST 17, 2020
My dad told me this when I was about 5 years old.

Kealeboga Olebogile from Palapye, Botswana SEPTEMBER 22, 2019
This was my most inspirational quote I looked up to when I was at high school. It somehow always powered me to achieve my set targets especially when I have work at night. Absolutely Forever Relevant.

Shanu from London JUNE 12, 2019
Soo inspirational

When we migrated to the US MAY 11, 2019
When my daughter Migrated to the US to go to college, I did this quotation in Calligraphy and pinned it to her bedside wall. I myself remember this all the time when I am painting especially at nights.

Susy from Bangalore ,India APRIL 16, 2019
My father would often quote this poem to us as children .He even had a display plaque done at our home .I can still recite this after 40 odd decades

Pamela Gordon, from Boynton Beach, Florida MARCH 13, 2019
I love this poem, I learnt it in middle school back in my Caribbean Island, and it has been one of the sources of my accomplishment.

Gloria Mccubbin from Syracuse NY  JANUARY 12, 2019
I woke up this morning 1/11/19 calling my prayer and study partner., call several times, no answer. This is what came to me. So I look it up. As I always say it's consistency.

Rahul from Maharashtra DECEMBER 8, 2018
Really wonderful

Kathan Patel from Nashik JUNE 20, 2018
Wonderful quote

Vedanshi from Surat FEBRUARY 14, 2018
Nice

Pamela Munro from Jamaica FEBRUARY 1, 2018
This peom is a great to encourage students who find to discouraging to study. I am using it as our class room motto. The children are understanding the concept. And the story is incorporated in reading exercise/ programme.

Brianna from New York/Florida MAY 28, 2017
My grandmother always say this poet to me and passed down to generation to generation

Audrey from Florida/Guyana JUNE 9, 2016
One of my favourite which has been passesd down to my children and grandchildren.

Camay from Charlotte, NC SEPTEMBER 3, 2015
I grew up on this, it helps to build Character

mechelle from guyana,south america JULY 29, 2014
This quote really motivates me to work harder


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