Success is Counted Sweetest
Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne’er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.Not one of all the purple Host
Who took the Flag today
Can tell the definition
So clear of victoryAs he defeated – dying –
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Burst agonized and clear!
Meanings of Success is counted sweetest by Emily Dickinson
The poem “Success is counted sweetest” by Emily Dickinson states that the presence of a precious thing with a person for a long loses its significance. Also, success is the most precious and sweetest thing for those who have never known success or those who have always confronted failures in their lives.
Meanings of Stanza -1
Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne’er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.
Emily Dickinson presents the theme of the poem by repeating the title of the poem, “Success is counted sweetest” in the first line with the addition of the people who have never seen or tasted success. She compares it with the nectar, the core of honey. She states that if somebody wants to test or understand nectar, he must be aware of the sorest need. His need should be intense and extreme to understand what nectar is. Hence, in both cases, the absence of things makes them significant in one’s life. This stanza spells out the main idea of the poem with a parallel comparison of two things: success and nectar.
Meanings of Stanza -2
Not one of all the purple Host
Who took the Flag today
Can you tell me the definition
So clear of victory
Emily Dickinson presents her theme in another way. Victory replaces success here. She is of the view that all the people who are wearing the purple uniform and take the flag today cannot tell what victory is. Victory does not come easily in war. It comes at the cost of lives and sometimes of those who want it the most. Therefore, a person having not tasted anything else on the battlefield cannot tell what victory is. He even does not know the definition of victory. This stanza contributes to the overall theme of success and its absence as an impetus to achieve it by presenting the metaphor of battlefield and victory.
Meanings of Stanza -3
As he defeated – dying –
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Burst agonized and cleared!
This stanza continues extending the war metaphor. Emily Dickinson extends this thematic strand by saying that a person who is on the battlefield and is on the verge of death after facing defeat suddenly hears the strains of victory dying away too. How dazed he might be, these strains become quite clear, but they are agonizing for him as the person is on the verge of death, and his final realization is about defeat which means that victory is not coming to him easily. This stanza contributes to the main idea by presenting that a person who is on the verge of death can understand what victory/success is.
Summary of Success is Counted Sweetest
- The popularity of “Success is Counted Sweetest”: This poem was written by Emily Dickinson, a great American poet. ‘Success is Counted Sweetest’ is a popular poem because of its themes of success and failure. It was first published in 1864. The poem speaks about the value of success and illustrates that those who have tasted failure can truly feel the real essence of success. The poem also unveils the painful truths of human desire.
- “Success is Counted Sweetest” A Comment on the Value of Success: As this poem is about success, the speaker explains that failures can understand the meanings of success. She has used the images of soldiers to express her ideas about success. At the outset, she talks about soldiers who have won the war but still do not understand the real meaning of success because they have not experienced the pain of failure. Later, she refers to a dying soldier on the losing side, who can hear the victorious soldiers celebrating their day. Hence, the one who is losing the battle of his life can sense the true spirit of success. What enchants the readers is a stark comparison she has made between winning and losing sides to make clarify her points to the readers.
- Major Themes in “Success is Counted Sweetest”: Need, success, and defeat are the major themes of this poem. The speaker presents her views on success by narrating various examples. She argues that success is valuable for those who have lost something in life. She adds that people who always win and taste success more often do not comprehend the true colors of success. Instead, it is valued and appreciated by those who experience defeats or failures in life.
Analysis of Literary Devices in Success is Counted Sweetest
literary devices are tools that enable writers to present their ideas, emotions, and feelings by using persuasive language. Emily Dickinson also employed some literary devices in this poem to describe her feelings. An analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem is given below.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /r/ in “Requires sorest need” and the sound of /t/ in “The distant strains of triumph” and “Success is counted sweetest.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “Not one of all the purple Host,”; “The distant strains of triumph,” and “Who took the Flag today.”
- Symbolism: Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings different from their literal meanings. “Nectar” symbolizes white victory and luxury, while “The purple host” is the symbol of the royal army.
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought or clause that does not come to an end at a line break; instead, it moves over the next line. For example,
“Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne’er succeed.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. There is only one metaphor in the third line “to comprehend nectar”. Here, nectar is referring to the sweetness of victory.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /o/ in “Who took the Flag today” and the sound of /ee/ in “By those who ne’er succeed”.
- Syncope: It is a literary device that can be defined as the contraction or the shortening of a word by omitting sounds, syllables or letters from the middle of the word. The poet has omitted the letters from the middle of the word such as, “By those who ne’er succeed.”
- Paradox: A paradox is a statement that may seem contradictory but can be true. For example, “Success is counted sweetest; By those who ne’er succeed.” Here, the poet has used paradox to explain the importance of success.
Analysis of Poetic Devices in “Success is Counted Sweetest”
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas in this poem with each comprises four lines.
- Quatrain: A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. Here each stanza is quatrain.
- Free Verse: Free Verse is a type of poetry that does not contain patterns of rhyme or meter. This is a free verse poem with no strict rhyme or meter.
- End Rhyme: End Rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. For example, “ear” and “clear.”
- Iambic Trimeter: It is a type of meter having three iambs per line. The poem follows an iambic trimesters such as, “By those who ne’er suc”.
Quotes to be Used
The lines stated below can be used in motivational speeches to highlight the importance of success. These could also be used by parents to shape the thinking of their children.
“Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne’er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.”