Success is Counted Sweetest

Emily Dickinsons poem, Success is Counted Sweetest reveals a unique vantage point of the
idea of success. She believes that failure gives one the experience of looking up at others who
succeed. This gives them a sense of the difference between failure and victory. Even though the
poem is written in third person, it is still a great representation of Dickinsons lifestyle. Her
seclusion and lack of self-confidence are the major aspects that shape this theory of success. The
struggle to publish her poems directly attributes to her clear understanding of this concept.
In Success is Counted Sweetest, the speaker is in a time of despair after losing a battle against
an opponent. This is evident in the third stanza when the author mentions that the man is
defeated and dying. He is frustrated after losing and claims that only he can understand the real
meaning of victory. In the second stanza, the speaker repeats the fact that the royal opponent that
beat him today could never understand the true meaning of victory. The author uses purple to
represent royalty. This introduces another idea that the men of royalty often succeed in leading
their vast kingdoms and have never experienced the life of a peasant or in this case failure. The
speaker expresses this main point in the first stanza claiming that the nectar of victory can only
be cherished by the losing side. The same nectar of victory can only be consumed rapidly by
the opponent who celebrates wildly without concern of those who lost.
The poem Success is Counted Sweetest is made up of twelve lines split into three stanzas. This
poem does not have any particular rhyme scheme, which allows the author to convey her point
with ease. Considering the fact that this poem is classified as free verse, there is a wider margin
for creativity. Emily Dickinson emphasizes the idea that only after failure the person can truly
understand success. In the lines To comprehend a nectar, requires sorest need, she states that
one must experience the sorest angle of a battle before truly appreciating it. In writing this poem
Dickinson indirectly pinpoints the idea of remaining humble when victorious and realizing what
it feels like to look down at the ones who failed.
Success in the 21st century can be defined in many ways, but the most common is in the business
world. During this economic recession, many have experienced the gap from making profits in
the stock market to being laid off and having to live on unemployment. Dickinsons theory of
humbleness will never die and will remain timeless.
This is my Letter to the World
Personification: "The simple News that Nature told (3)
Slant Rhymes: "For love of Her - Sweet - countrymen" (7)
Figurative Language: "This is my Letter to the World" (1)
Quatrains, Iambic Pentameter, a,b,a,b
This is My Letter to the World by Emily Dickinson shows a profound message to all of the
readers that is analyzed and has brought upon inspiration even today. Along with most of Emilys
work, this particular poem was utilized to make others think and be curious about the world

outside of their bedroom windows. Using various types of imagery including stanza, slant rhyme,
and consonance to present her thoughts, she created something that is difficult to describe in a
very articulate manor, changing the world of poetry forever.
Emily Dickinsons poem has a deep message behind what is written in the poem. Emily writes
about her work as the letters she presents to the world. But the world never wrote back to her
because they never realized how much talent she encompassed during the time that she was
alive. She seemed to be able to predict that someday people will be reading her poems and
learning about her world views. She wished to pass on the messages and lessons that nature had
taught her. She saw the world as a place she wanted to shield herself against and so she never left
her house and always kept in isolation to where she never stepped foot past her house/garden. At
the same time, she still wanted the world to see her work as something that is influential and can
even today change lives. Emilys passion for nature in line 3, The simple News that Nature
told represents how nature affected her writing and has shaped her as a person. Nature was
important to Emily because it showed a world that did not judge or ask for anything in return.
She hoped that it could also affect the people that read her poems and get them to see nature in a
different light and feel the beauty she felt when she saw it. She referred to her letter as the ones
that are committed to the hands I cannot see in line 6. Dickinson hoped that the people who
read her poems in the future do not judge her based on what she lived her life as, but instead of
how her work was a true piece of art that changed the way literature was perceived.
Emily Dickinson uses unique literary devices to portray her thoughts to all those that read her
words. Her poem is split into four lines a stanza which is called quatrains. Quatrains is a form of
simple rhythm of the church hymns she knew and loved. Emily also used slant rhymes which are
words that do not rhyme exactly and uses dashes to highlight important words, For love of Her Sweet - countrymen - (7). At the end of the lines, Emily uses figurative language, which are
words capitalized for emphasis, This is my letter to the World (1). An example of
personification is The simple News that Nature told (3). The theme of the poem is that if
people were to judge, they should judge by the truth. In Emily Dickinsons form of literature, her
works shows individuality and how she perceives the world.
All in all, Emilys poetry was very careful and precise, where she paid very closely to the detail
which made her poems beautifully intricate. Her usage of literary devices and deep meaning lead
to many wonderful things in the realm of art. She wanted people to enjoy her poetry (as showed
in the last two lines of This is My Letter to the World) and learn about themselves. Using a
wide variety of themes that are relatable to every human made her works excel in a world
dominated by men. In the end, the poetry of Emily Dickinson showed depth and meaning, and
with hopes of relating to others in her position and to appeal to those in opposing stances.
After great pain, a formal feeling comes
On first outlook this poem is about death, this is presented by the vocabulary used such as pain
and tombs. The first line suggests that the persona has recently gone through a death and is
describing how this death has affected her. After great pain a formal feeling comes- the word
pain literally means the hurtful emotion that comes from a death. By then describing the next

feeling as formal implies that the persona feels emotions should not be shown in public, as in
order to conform or look normal in their society they must be reserved. The word formal could
also suggest that the persona is putting up an artificial front, t6his being that they only display
their true emotions when alone not in public.
The next line portrays the persona to be cold and emotionless as it describes their Nerves to be
like Tombs which are heavy and cold, this also implies that their nerves hold memories of their
dead loved one, just like a tomb stone does. But as memories are unable to resurrect the dead
one, they become useless and therefore the persona does not use them, which shows them to be
emotionless.The stiff Heart and The Nerves are both capitalised, this emphasises that these
are both body parts, which implies that grief is affecting her physically as well as mentally.
The following line also goes on to say that The stiff Heart questions was it He the He is
capitalised just as in the bible, where a capitalised He means God. This shows that this persona
who has a Stiff Heart- which gives imagery of a heart which is under pressure as it is too
stiff to pump blood showing a rise of anger- is beginning to blame god for the death.
The next stanza then goes away from the idea that it was Gods doing, and begins to reason that
its just the way of life. As the first line says The Feet, Mechanical, go round this line gives a
contradictory image of the natural, biological image of feet compared to the cold, manmade
image of the mechanical object. This suggests that even thought the persona accepts that death is
the way of life, it is still not natural and is in some way man made. This could link back to the
religious teaching that it was Adam and Eve who where that cause of death.
The last line of the stanza also gives a contrasting image of a Quartz and a stone, the quartz
is a precious stone and the poem also describes it as content this is then compared with a
valueless stone. This suggests the persona is saying that even if youre content with your life it
can be snatched away from you. Death is inevitable and unpredictable.
The last stanza is like a reflection of the death. The last two stanzas have questioned who and
why death happens, and the last stanza goes back to talking about feelings that stem from a
death. By having this is as the first words shows this is the personas present feelings. The first
line then goes on to say The Hour of Lead By saying Hour instead of a longer period of
time shows that these condensed feelings will pass. Also describing it to a poisonous substance
like Lead implies these are dangerous times to be in, and could leave mental and physical
scars. Describing the hour to lead could also mean that this is a heavy, cold period which is like a
weight on your mind which limits your thinking or physically paralyses you. The following line
suggests that the dead will always be remembered. This leads on to the next line which says As
Freezing persons, Recollect the snow the word Freezing suggests grief and the snow which
is the source/cause of the Freezing suggests death. The last line shows the stages of grieving. It
starts with the chill implying a realisation of the death and a cold sensation in the mind. then
stupor suggesting the physical and mental paralysing. then the letting go- which shows that
the grief will pass in time. The dash at the end of the line implies that these emotions will still
carry on throughout your life.

Stylistic device (Figurative language) "The nerves sit ceremonious, like tombs."
It's a simile because it is comparing nerves and tombs using the word like" and it is
personification because nerves do not sit.
"A quartz contentment, like stone."
This is a metaphor (simile) because it is comparing how content this person is with themselves
to quartz and stone. "The stiff heart questions--"
A metaphor, not saying the heart is physically stiff, but saying it is emotionally sore with pain.
"First the chill, the the stupor, then letting go"
Is a metaphor, meaning if in the snow to long, you'll eventually go numb, and go into a stupor
even. After a while your body will let go, just as you might with a lost love. Diction
The origin of this poem is probably hurt and pain. If i were to look this up in the dictionary it
would be somewhere between sorrow and submit. Tone
The tone of this poem is kind of sad and weary. I think the reason she wrote this was because
something really hurt her. Maybe a lost love or loved one.
The last Night that She lived
The first line reveals the nature of the poem stating that it is an observation of death, the
capitalisation of Common Night emphasise that the night was ordinary except for the death.
The first stanza portrays the shock of death and fitting with the period of time there are religious
undertones, Nature different signifies the shift in perception, portraying the idea of the afterlife.
There is also juxtaposition between the normal, calm night and the enigmatic shift in nature.
The second stanza plays on the readers mind, discussing the psychological effects of death
noticed smallest things portrtays the speaker noticing previously neglected objects, linking to
Dickinsons tendency to give ordinary objects metaphorical meanings. The words great light
again contain religious connotations; however it discusses the mind, so it could portray the
clarity given in death, opening the both the speaker and readers mind.
The third stanza is more lively we went out and in, portrays them as being active contrasting
with the person dying, final room portrays how she is passive. The context behind the stanza is
linked to the past idea that family members would gather around there dying relatives bed, in
order to try and see the soul ascend to heaven. There is personification used, bringing the rooms
to life, yet blaming them later when she is dead, giving the room human characteristics.
The next stanza describes humans in simplistic terms, showing how instead of living they simply
exist. Dickinson also describes A Jealousy for Her, emphasising the Her gives the poem a
feminine tone and explains the jealousy felt when they no longer have that person and have to
carry on living without them whilst they were stood so close to infinity.
The fifth stanza relates to the dying person as We Waited, shows how they have now become
passive, the words narrow time send off a tight constricted feeling, which is metaphorical for
time spent waiting. The frantic movement of the soul jostled were our Souls, again referencing
the intimate nature of the poem and the soul.

The next stanza is when the person has finally died after waiting the long notice, the speaker
describes the last actions of the person She mentioned, and forget, meaning she spoke her last
words, then died forgetting she ever said them .There is natural imagery used to describe the
persons delicate actions Reed and Water and afterwards she consented giving herself up to
death.
The last stanza is extremely physical, illustrating how they now prepare the body, the stanza
contains a cold and empty tone, portraying the person as body bits Hair and Head, striping the
person of any life. They stanza is described as an awful leisure which they then have to move
on from and return to a normalised lifestyle. Dickinson portrays how the experience of death
changes and alters a persons belief about god and immorality.
She lay as if at play
Dickinson takes a break here from the weighty topics of previous poems to return to the theme of
what death looks like on the face of the recently deceased. The subject here is a young girl (I
think three or four earlier poems had a dead girl child in them, too). Ladies of Dickinson's day
often wrote these sad child-death poems, and they were avidly consumed by readers. This one is
a bit heart wrenching because Dickinson sketches a lively child with "sparkling" and "dancing"
eyes who seems to have died without much warning. Her life "had leaped away" as if just
jumping up to get something.
Less clear to me is what the poet means by "Her Morning at the door." I think Dickinson intends
the homophone of Morning and Mourning; I think she also means the re-birth connotations of
morning. But this particular earthly morning, the child was not awakened by the sun or by her
mother. This particular morning took great pains to make sure the child would never wake again
in her little bed. There's an ominous quality to a morning that was "Devising" the sleep of death
and how to "force" the child into it. The reader pauses a bit at the line, but "Morning" seems so
innocuous that how many of us really think it had such deadly intent? I think Dickinson was
intending this irony.
Except for the last line of each quatrain, Dickinson uses iambic trimeter throughout. Each
quatrain is divided into two rhyming lines. The simple scheme lends a childish quality to the
poem. The last lines of the stanzas are in dimeter; each word is only one syllable. These lines are
neatly divided by both meter and sense: one reads them as pairs: "But not : so soon"; "The Trick :
to start"; "For fun : at you"; "So light : so deep." The effect is disruptive just as the
child's sudden death was disruptive. The last pair with its "light" and "deep" is a thoughtful
pairing that asks the reader to think about a child's death sleep at least this child's. Her "sleep"
looked so light, but went so deep. One also hopes that the experience from the child's perspective
was the same: so light so deep.
ANALYZING POEM THERE WAS A CHILD WENT FORTH
This poem tell us about the growth and development process of a child to adapt with his
neighbourhood and himself.
THE RELATION BETWEEN ABSTRACT AND CONCRETE IMAGES

In a poem, usually there is a relation between its abstract and abstract, concrete and concrete, or
abstract and concete images.
Just like a usual, in the poem There was a Child Went Forth which weve analyzed, there are
some relation between its images.
For example, in the first stanza, we found two concrete images which have a relation one
another, child and object. Here, the child who went forth was trying to find an object he
became. This object can be delivered to both abstract or concrete image. If the context is the
child was looking for the real object, this object is classified as a concrete image.
But, if we talk about the second relation between object and some abstracts images like wonder,
pity, love and dread. It is classified as an abstract image. Because the meaning of object here is
some feelings which cant be touched.
The third relation can be found at the second stanza. There are many concrete images here, like
lylac, lambs, sows pink-faint litter, mares, foal and cows calf and also abstract images red
morning-glories. All of those images describe the beginning condition of life. this condition is
similar to the childs condition who is in growth and development process and we can see that ts
very relevant to its title there was a child went forth
The Metaphor
Metaphor is the heart of poetry. Here are a few metaphores in the poem There was a Child Went
Forth and in each of them a comparision is implied :
1. Cycle of years
Here the years compared with a series. It would point out that it connote the a group of events
which happen in a particular order, one following the other, and which are often repeated
annually for a long time. The author wants the reader to know that the child passed a lot of
events in their life in a long time.
2.

Song of phoebe-bird.

Here the phoebe bird is compared with a meladious tone that is produce by them. When we heard
the chirp a phoebe bird, we will heard a melodious tone that can make our heart feel calm and
refresh. The melodious tone here is usually called as a song.
3.

Brood of the barnyard.

Here the barnyard is compared with a group of bird that born at the same time and have a large
amount. Here the barnyard is assummed as a large place that inside there are many noisy bird
that make the barnyard looks crowded and shows us the farmland condition.