Have You Earned Your Tomorrow

  Is anybody happier because you passed his way?

     Does anyone remember that you spoke to him today?
This day is almost over, and its toiling time is through;
     Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word of you?

Did you give a cheerful greeting to the friend who came along?
Or a churlish sort of "Howdy" and then vanish in the throng?
Were you selfish pure and simple as you rushed along the way,
Or is someone mighty grateful for a deed you did today?

Can you say tonight, in parting with the day that's slipping fast,

     That you helped a single brother of the many that you passed?

Is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said;

     Does a man whose hopes were fading now with courage look ahead?

Did you waste the day, or lose it, was it well or sorely spent?

     Did you leave a trail of kindness or a scar of discontent?

As you close your eyes in slumber do you think that God would say,

     You have earned one more tomorrow by the work you did today?

This famous poem, "Have You Earned Your Tomorrow", is likely by Edgar A. Guest who was known as the People's Poet for his simple uplifting style of writing poetry, and first published in the Detroit Free Press around 1916. There are different versions of the poem around and it has been attributed to other authors and with other titles such as "The Day's Results", "The Day's Work", "At Day's End", and "Is Anybody Happier".

Is anybody happier because you passed  his way?      Does anyone remember that you  spoke to him today? This day is almost over, and its toiling  time is through;      Is there anyone to utter now a  kindly word of you? Did you give a cheerful greeting to the  friend who came along?      Or a churlish sort of "Howdy" and  then vanish in the throng? Were you selfish pure and simple as  you rushed along the way,      Or is someone mighty grateful for a  deed you did today? Can you say tonight, in parting with the  day that's slipping fast,      That you helped a single brother of  the many that you passed? Is a single heart rejoicing over what  you did or said;      Does a man whose hopes were  fading now with courage look ahead? Did you waste the day, or lose it, was  it well or sorely spent?      Did you leave a trail of kindness or  a scar of discontent? As you close your eyes in slumber do  you think that God would say,      You have earned one more  tomorrow by the work you did today? This poem is in the public domain.   Edgar Guest (1881 - 1959)  was born in  England,  but moved with his family to  Detroit, Michigan, when he was ten  years old. He worked for more than  sixty years at the Detroit Free Press,  publishing his first poem at the age of  seventeen, then going on to become a  reporter and columnist whose work was featured in hundreds of newspapers around the country.  Edgar is said to have written some 11,000 poems during his lifetime,  most of it sentimental, short, upbeat  verse. Critics often derided his work,  but America adored him. He was  known as the "People's Poet," served  as Michigan's poet laureate, hosted a long-running radio show and TV  show, and published more than  twenty books. Have You Earned Your Tomorrow by Edgar Guest ‘Have You Earned Your Tomorrow’ by Edgar Guest is a four stanza poem that is separated into sets of four lines, or quatrains. Guest chose to conform these quatrains to a consistent rhyme scheme. The lines follow the pattern of aabb ccaa ddee ffaa. Immediately noteworthy is the repetition of the -ay” sound that appears in the first, second and fourth stanzas. It has been used repetitively in order to unify the text. The sound repeats, just like the speaker’s questions are rephrased in order to make a new impact. Both elements of the poem constantly press on the reader’s mind.  As a reader will immediately notice upon beginning ‘Have You Earned Your Tomorrow’ that the text is marked by questions directed at the reader. Each stanza contains at least two, sometimes three questions which probe at a one’s treatment of others. For example, the second stanza inquires into friendly greetings and kind actions while the third is concerned with helping others and giving hope. The speaker’s words are piercing, leaving no room for interpretation. Any reader who considers them, even briefly, will be challenged to analyze their own goodness.  Poem Analysis. The poem begins with the speaker asking  a reader if they did anything to improve  the day of another human being. He continues on to ask if the reader greeted their friends cheerfully or if instead, they passed them by “churlish[ly].” It is the end of the day and time is running out to guarantee one’s actions are approved  by God.  In the second half of the poem, the  speaker inquires into the reader’s actions further. He hopes that everyone does  what they can to bring hope and courage  to those who do not have it. The poem concludes with the speaker reminding  the reader that it is up to God whether or not “you” have a tomorrow. Therefore,  one should consider their actions  carefully if they want to see the next day. Stanza One  Is anybody happier because you passed   his way? (…) Is there anyone to utter now a kindly   word of you? Have You Earned Your Tomorrow by Edgar Guest ‘Have You Earned Your Tomorrow’ by Edgar Guest is a four stanza poem that is separated into sets of four lines, or quatrains. Guest chose to conform these quatrains to a consistent rhyme scheme. The lines follow the pattern of aabb ccaa ddee ffaa. Immediately noteworthy is the repetition of the -ay” sound that appears in the first, second and fourth stanzas. It has been used repetitively in order to unify the text. The sound repeats, just like the speaker’s questions are rephrased in order to make a new impact. Both elements of the poem constantly press on the reader’s mind.  As a reader will immediately notice upon beginning ‘Have You Earned Your Tomorrow’ that the text is marked by questions directed at the reader. Each stanza contains at least two, sometimes three questions which probe at a one’s treatment of others. For example, the second stanza inquires into friendly greetings and kind actions while the third is concerned with helping others and giving hope. The speaker’s words are piercing, leaving no room for interpretation. Any reader who considers them, even briefly, will be challenged to analyze their own goodness.   Summary of Have You Earned Your Tomorrow‘ Have You Earned Your Tomorrow’ by Edgar Guest presents a number of probing questions to a reader about how they spend their days. The poem begins with the speaker asking a reader if they did anything to improve the day of another human being. He continues on to ask if the reader greeted their friends cheerfully or if instead, they passed them by “churlish[ly].” It is the end of the day and time is running out to guarantee one’s actions are approved  by God. In the second half of the poem, the speaker inquires into the reader’s actions further. He hopes that everyone does what they can to bring hope and courage to those who do not have it. The poem concludes with the speaker reminding the reader that it is up to God whether or not “you” have a tomorrow. Therefore, one should consider their actions carefully if they want to see the next day.  You can read the full poem here. Scroll to the top.  Analysis of Have You Earned Your Tomorrow Stanza One  Is anybody happier because you passed his way? (…) Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word of you?   In the first stanza of this piece, the speaker begins with a question. Of all the questions to come, this one is the most direct. It gets to the heart of what Guest’s speaker is concerned with. He asks if today, “you,” referring to the reader, made anyone’s day better. He speaks abstractly about a “him” the reader might’ve passed and helped or made happier. The speaker purposely does not define what this means. It is up for interpretation as it could mean any number of things. This question is followed by a second, then later a third. The second asks the reader if there was anyone “you spoke to” today who remembers “you?” Again, this question could mean anything. The most important parts of these two questions are the emphasis on unprompted kindness and the fact that it is now the end of the day. The hours are running out for “you” to make a positive impact. The speaker emphasizes this by asking if there is “anyone to utter now a kindly word of you?”  Stanza Two  Did you give a cheerful greeting to the friend who came along? (…) Or is someone mighty grateful for a deed you did today? The second stanza begins with another question. Here, the speaker asks if anytime during the day “you” greeted a friend “cheerful[ly].” Now the kindness is moving inward. The speaker is also concerned with how “you” treat those known to “you” as well.  In the next lines, he presents the opposite and pushes the reader on their own selfish tendencies. Rather than a cheerful, heartfelt hello, the speaker asks if “you” were “churlish,” or rude. This would also be marked by one’s quick disappearance into the “crowd” and rushing off to another task. It is clear the speaker feels distaste at the idea of treating a friend in this way. He says very clearly that it is a “pure[ly]” “selfish” way to be. As if he is hoping for the opposite response, he asks, “Or” did “you” act differently? And is someone “grateful for a deed you did today?”  Stanza Three  Can you say tonight, in parting with the day that’s slipping fast, (…) Does a man whose hopes were fading now with courage look ahead? The third stanza begins with a longer question, probing into any help the reader might’ve given to “a single brother.” It is enough for the speaker if “you” were kind to one person out of the many “that you passed.” An action like this would be sufficient to have “earned your tomorrow.” It is important to note how this way of thinking is connected to a number of different religions and their dependence on “good deeds.” This is backed up by  Guest’s tendency to connect his themes to Christianity. In fact, God comes into play in the fourth stanza as one is forced to contend with how they lived.  In the second half of the third stanza, the speaker uses courage and cowardice as tools to improve or worsen someone’s life. He asks if there is one “single heart” that is now “rejoicing” due to “your” actions. Ideally, he would like there to be “a man” with improved hopes and reinvigorated “courage [to] look ahead.”  Stanza Four  Did you waste the day, or lose it, was it well or sorely spent? (…) You have earned one more tomorrow by the work you did today? In the fourth stanza, the speaker states that any day not spent, at least in part, improving the lives of others, is wasted. It is “lost” if it was “sorely,” or badly, “spent.” On the other hand, if it was “well…spent” there will be a “trail of kindness” marking one’s path through the day. The last lines tell the reader (if they are unsure how their day was spent,) that they can “close” their “eyes in slumber” and think about what God would have to say to them.  If after considering the response of God, a reader feels as if they’ve done well, then tomorrow is assured. Otherwise, God might look kindly on the actions or inactions of the day and tomorrow might not come. Appreciation ‘Have you earned your tomorrow?’ This is a simple and optimistic poem written by American writer of British origin Edgar Guest. The poet has made use of rhetorical questions to inspire and convey his ideas. This is an unique and innovative style used by the poet. The title of the poem arouses interest. Reference of common day-today activities instantly creates a connection with this poem. The theme of the poem is that whatever good deeds we do today will definitely earn us are tomorrow. The poet forces the readers to reflect upon their negative actions. The poem makes the readers to sensitively think, ponder about their daily activities. Poetic devices like Alliteration, Synecdoche & Interrogation are used. Visual imagery is a special feature of this poem. The rhyme scheme of the poem is aabb The message of the poem is that we earn a bright future because of the good and kind actions that we do every day. We should be kind to everybody always and everywhere. We must make each day of our life meaningful. I like the poem as it contributes in improving the lives of others. It teaches compassion & kindness.  The poet genuinely urges people to make others’ lives better. It is truly an inspirational poem.