We all have those days where we just can’t be bothered. We don’t want to go to work; the thought of dealing with life admin and other people can feel so draining; there are even days where we don’t want to get out of bed! This is all completely normal, but it can be very hard to deal with, especially if it happens often or goes on for a long time. Reading poems about giving up can not only make you feel that you are not alone in dealing with this, but can also give you helpful hints and tips on how to deal with it.
Life can be hard, and there will always be at least one day in your life where you feel you cannot go on any more, and that you just want to give up. Before you do though, have a go at reading some poetry – it may just turn your life around! Poetry can be incredibly inspiring, and can make you feel “seen” and understood in ways that even the most supportive friend cannot. Next time you feel like giving up, reach for a book of poetry instead.
If you know someone is struggling and you don’t know how to help them, why not try offering a selection of poems about giving up? You never know, it might just save someone. Even if someone is not quite on the brink of giving up, a thoughtful gift to remind them on the bad days that they are loved and surrounded by people who care, can help immensely. Feeling isolated and alone is a leading cause of feelings of giving up, so give someone a reason to keep going instead. After all, tomorrow is a brand new day, so grab it with both hands (poetry book tucked into your pocket, of course!)
Poems About Giving Up
Love
Author: P. Whistle
I’ve unthreaded the seams of hope,
Unraveled the dreams we wove in the dark.
The fire that flickered, once bright and bold,
Has whispered away to an ember's spark.
I’ve walked through the fields where we planted trust,
But the soil, now barren, gives nothing back.
What bloomed between us has turned to dust,
And the path is swallowed in endless black.
I’ve spoken your name to the night,
Only to hear it fall, empty, alone.
No echo returns, no light in sight—
Just silence, a heart turned to stone.
So I fold the memories, tuck them away,
In the corners where forgotten things dwell.
For love, like the mist at the break of day,
Has vanished, a story too painful to tell.
Life
Author: P. Whistle
In a quiet town where shadows creep,
There lived a soul who’d forgotten sleep.
With weary eyes and a heavy heart,
They wandered the world, slowly falling apart.
Once, they dreamed of skies so high,
Of whispered winds and stars that fly.
But time, it stole those dreams away,
And left them adrift in the coldest gray.
The sun would rise, but they’d barely care,
For the weight of the world was too much to bear.
Each step felt like a thousand more,
On a road that led to a closed-off door.
They whispered to the night, “Is this the end?
Will I ever find peace, my old lost friend?”
But the night replied with an empty sound,
As they watched their hopes fall to the ground.
No more battles, no more fight—
Just the quiet pull of endless night.
For the flame inside had long since died,
And with it, their will to survive.
So they laid their head on a pillow cold,
And let go of dreams they’d never hold.
With a final breath, they closed their eyes,
And drifted away under silent skies.
But in the stillness, a tear did fall,
For the world had lost them, once and for all.
A soul too tired to carry on,
Gone with the night, before the dawn.
Someone You Love
Author: S. Ellis
There once was a heart full of care,
That loved with a depth, bold and rare.
But the love went unclaimed,
So it quietly waned,
And slipped away into thin air.
The Echo of Forgotten Dreams
Author: N. Ellis
I once held dreams in fragile hands,
Like fireflies caught in twilight's glow.
They sparkled bright with future plans,
But now, they've dimmed, too faint to show.
I chased them far through endless nights,
Believed in stars that led the way.
But winds have changed, extinguished lights,
And whispered, "Not today, not today."
The path I walked is overgrown,
With brambles thick, no flowers bloom.
The dreams I nurtured, now unknown,
Have faded into quiet gloom.
So I set them down with a gentle sigh,
Fold them beneath forgotten skies.
For not all wings were meant to fly,
And some dreams end where silence lies.
Alcohol
Author: Unknown
Empty glass, still night,
Broken chains, a quiet mind—
Freedom in silence.
Looking for more sad but lovely poems? Check out these about autism.
