What is Success
What is Success?
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;To leave the world a bit better, whether by
a healthy child, a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;To know even one life has breathed
easier because you have lived;This is to have succeeded.
Summary of What is Success
- Popularity of “What is Success”: This short poetry ‘What is Success’ was written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American philosopher and poet. The poem was first published in the year 1908 in The Complete Works. The form’s poetic distinctiveness stems from its unparalleled definitions and explanations of success, each intricately linked to different facets of life.
- “What is Success” As a Representative of Success and Happiness: The poem opens with a rhetorical question and responds to this question. Through questioning success’s essence, the poet explores different viewpoints and provides a thorough analysis. He argues that it could be that happiness is a success while at other times it could be respect and winning the respect of others. It also is to earn appreciation and winning the critic. He suggests that beauty includes both its physical qualities and our appreciation of it. It is to create a better situation or environment for others and it is also to live and let others live. If this happens in the world, it means that you have won success in life.
- Major Themes in “What is Success”: Success, beauty, and welfare of others are three major themes of the poem. This poetic form emphasizes the reactions to a rhetorical inquiry where the poet asserts that while it is associated with joy, aesthetics, and societal improvement, it can take on any meaning when evaluated by communal standards. Thus, the well-being is dependent on the success of an individual who, by serving society, beautifies the world and brings joy to children, ultimately achieving success in life.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in What is Success
literary devices are tools that enhance language and refine the rhythm of poetry. The analysis of these devices in the poem is given below.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /i/ in “To win the respect of intelligent people”, the sound of /e/ in “To leave the world a bit better, whether by”.
- Alliteration: It is the use of successive consonant sounds in the initials of the successive words such as /b/ in “bit better” and /f/ in “false friends”.
- Anaphora: The poem shows the use of anaphora as the repetition of “To…” in several verses that make it an anaphoric expression.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /t/ and /l/ in “To win the respect of intelligent people”, the sound of /t/ and “To leave the world a bit better, whether by” and the sound of /l/ in “a healthy child, a garden patch”.
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example,
To leave the world a bit better, whether by
a healthy child, a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. The poem shows the use of imagery such as “and endure the betrayal of false friends”, “a healthy child, a garden patch” and “To know even one life has breathed”.
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different. The poem shows the use of metaphor such as the air that breaks into mist, which means the air is like a bamboo stick or old walls are like the swings.
- Oxymoron: It means to show contradictory ideas put together such as “false friends”.
- Personification: The poet has shown the use of life as if it has life and emotions of its own.
- Rhetorical Question: Rhetorical question is a question that is not asked to receive an answer; it is just posed to make the point clear. The poem shows the use of a rhetorical question such as,
What is Success?
To laugh often and much;
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. The poem shows the use of the symbols of the garden, child, and life as symbols of life.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in What is Success
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.
- Free Verse: The poem does not follow any rhyme scheme. Therefore, it is a free verse.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are five stanzas and two one-liners.
- Repetition: The poem shows the repetition of “To…” to stress upon the idea of what to do to win success.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from “What is Success” are relevant to use when teaching about the changes that an individual can bring in society and win personal success.
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
