The test of a man

The Test 
The test of a man is the fight he makes 
The grit that he daily shows; 
The way he stands on his feet and takes 
Fate's numerous bumps and blows. 
A coward can smile when there's naught to fear, 
When nothing his progress bars, 
But it takes a man to stand up and cheer 
While some other fellow stars.

It isn't the victory after all 
But the fight that a brother makes, 
The man, who, driven against the wall, 
Still stands up erect and takes 
The blows of fate with his head held high 
Bleeding and bruised and pale, 
He's the man who'll win in the by and by, 
For he isn't afraid to fail.

It's the bumps you get and the jolts you get 
And the shocks that your courage stands, 
The hours of sorrow and vain regret, 
The prize that escapes your hands, 
That test your mettle and prove your worth. 
It isn't the blows you deal, 
But the blows you take on this good, old earth 
That shows if your stuff is real. 
- Anonymous