Emily Dickinson-a great American female poet represented the farthest
point in the 19th century American Poetry. American poetry in regard
to the adventures of the spirit is beautifully reflected in her poetry. She had
the distinction of being a pioneer of 19th century American Poetry.
She was an anticipator of metaphysical poetry, a smeller of modernity and a defender
of romanticism. Conard Alken described her as,
“The most
perfect flower of
New England-Transcendentalism.”
“Success
in counted Sweetest” is a beautiful poem which presents ideas that
success has important and values where there is an experience of failure. Speaking
of defeat and success in life, Emily says that success is enjoyed and
understood by those who do not attain it. The real pleasure in life is not
reaching the goal but in the incessant struggle to reach there
Theme of the poem
‘Success is counted Sweetest’ is one
of the representative poems of Dickinson showing her attitude to life. She deals
with her ideas of success and defeat. She believes that it is defeat which
makes one realize fully the real significance and value of victory. She gives a
paradox of success and defeat, the victor and the vanquished. While the victor
experiences in the glory of success, the vanquished clearly comprehends and can
tell the definition of victory. The theme of poem is the perception of
value won through deprivation.
Critical Appreciation of the poem
The poem begins with the view that
success appears to be sweet to only those who have not been able to relish the
test of world of achievements or success. The real nature of victory can be
experienced only by those who have gone through the bitterest needs of life. For
the truest value of the success, handwork, pain, frustration, and failure are
required. Without these all thing success doesn’t have any value. The first two
lines are defining about the value of success.
“Success
is counted Sweetest
By those who ne’er succeed.”
These
lines present her ideas of sweetness of success. Those who get it finds
if sweet. But there contrast is what about those who have never succeeded? They count it sweetest. When they don’t get,
they comprehend what is lost by them. The idea of sweetness they would
understand better than the victorious. Then the poetess considers success as nectar
and says,
To Comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need”.
‘Nectar’ here stands
for all the pleasant and delightful experience of life. Those who have never
suffered from sorrow can never realize the real significance of nectar
(exultation). The nectar is not on the side victorious. His value, glory,
importance would go soon, it is not perment Then in the last stanza, poet
describes defeated person in contradiction to the victor.
“As he defeated-dying-
On those
forbidden ear
The
distant strains of triumphs
Burst agonized and clear.
The victor doesn’t know clear
definition of victory. The king and his followers hold the flag of victory
but they have victory only because success has come after loss of mental
stress. But defeated ear knows what sort of clear sounds of victory can be. Though
the heart of a defeated man is agonized, he is still capable of feeling of the
nature of victory and better comprehends the value and pleasures of victory than
victor. In this way, the poet compensates the defeated person by a great awareness
of the meaning of victory. The meaning is that suffering is necessary for knowing
the value of pleasure. Pain is the source of pleasure.
Poetic Quality
As far as poetic quality is
concerned, we find characteristics like simplicity, lucidity and directness in
the poem. We can find lucid and musical note. The poetess nicely uses
alliteration.
1. Success
is counted Sweetest 2. Who took flag today?
We
can find varieties in diction of the poem. ‘Nectar’ is a myth, to comprehend it
show conception of mind and thinking. Use of Superlative degree two times gives
to intensify the emotion. e.g. sweetest, sorest. Moreover the whole poem is
built upon the paradox of victor and vanquished, success and defeat. As she
says,
“Success is counted Sweetest By those who ne’er
succeed.”
Conclusion
The
poem is considered as a definition poem. Through the poem Emily defines
way of living life. Indirectly she takes of life of depressed, defeated, and
dying man. She says there is success in defeat. Only suffering and miseries
gives meaning to the human life and happiness. In this ways, she discovers good
even in things evil. Hunger and defeat carry with them their own compensation. It
is hunger which makes one realize the full sweetness of nectar. It is defeat which
defines the full significance of victory. Here we can compare Dickinson’s ideas
with Wordsworth following lines.
Thy friends are exultations and agonies
And man’s unconquerable mind” Wordsworth
To summing up, this is one of the
definition poems by Emily which defines success. It is an expression of Emily’s
hopeful and optimistic outlook. It aims at teaching us fortitude and patient
cheer in the midst of failure and defeat. It is miraculous and psychological sight
shows the superiority of defeat over victory, of frustration over satisfaction,
and of anguished comprehension over mere possession. Above such satisfying life,
William Blake rightly said,
“Joy and
Woe are woven fine,
a silken
thread for the soul divine.”
William Blake.
In a short, the poem reveals
that joy-sorrow, Defeat-victory are twins.
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