Carrion Comfort Perseverance Quotes

Check out all those "not"s—four of 'em in the first three lines of the poem alone. That's the sound of someone steadfastly refusing to give in. While this opening details the speaker's challenges with Despair, it also asserts his grit and determination to persevere.

Here the speaker relates that hope is his secret weapon. Believing that the sun will come out tomorrow (sorry, Annie fans) is what keeps him going, what allows him to make the choice to persevere, rather than end his life.

Bonus—the speaker's perseverance pays off here, in a big way. It allows him to undergo a personal transformation, one that leaves him stronger and more confident, stripped of the "chaff" of his weaker personal qualities.