Don't Quit- To Whom Does This Poem Belong?

Recently I wrote an article “To Whom Does This Poem Belong,” if you haven’t read it yet it can be read at < Today's Woman Writing Community >. The article is about the beautiful inspiration poem “Don’t Quit,” that a number of poets wish to take credit for writing.

Eric, one of the sources that I credit in my article sent me an email. I just thought that I would quote him. “Thanks, I read your article and liked it. No one alive today could have written that poem as it is way too
old - anyone below nintey to a hundred years old (at least) would have to be a liar. I hate people that try to take credit for what I feel is one of the most inspirational poems written. I have a copy of the poem in my house that my grandparents had long before I was born and I am fifty years old - and the copy I have also has no author on it. My guess would be that it was written at the turn of the century.”

The real author of the poem is still a mystery but as more facts are revealed about the poem, we are learning how quick poets are to take credit for something they didn't write.


Example when I removed a member for plagiarism from the Today’s Woman website she wrote , “I have never ever read this poem you speak of in my lifetime. I sat right here at my computer desk at work and composed it. Whether you choose to believe that or not, I cannot help. But, to accuse me of plagiarism without any proof whatsoever is disgusting. I would never do such a thing. But, now that you have been judge, jury and executioner of me without any due process, I would never want to be a part of TW. How completely absurd of you, Rose, how utterly absurd. This was very low.”

Low is taking a well known poem and pretending that you wrote it. Just because the author is unknown doesn’t mean that you can take credit for writing it.

Just where do some people get off?

I'll get off my soap box now.