Success is Counted Sweetest

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By Emily Dickinson

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Theme: True value of success is understood by those who never succeed

About the Poet

• Emily Dickinson (1830–1886), American poet

• Known for unique style: brevity, dashes, slant rhyme

• Wrote on themes of life, death, immortality, and nature

• Most of her poems were published after her death

SUCCESS IS COUNTED SWEETEST

The Poem

Success is counted sweetest

By those who ne’er succeed.

To comprehend a nectar

Requires sorest need.

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(Success is valued and appreciated the most by those who never achieve it. People who have failed understand its true worth better than those who often win.

To truly understand and enjoy something sweet (like nectar), one must first experience great thirst or need. In other words, appreciation comes only after deprivation)

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Not one of all the purple Host

Who took the Flag today

Can tell the definition

So clear of Victory,

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(Among all the victorious soldiers (“purple Host” refers to the royal or winning army) who captured the flag today,�not one of them truly understands what victory means.�None of those winners can define victory as clearly and deeply as someone who has lost.)

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As he defeated – dying –

On whose forbidden ear

The distant strains of triumph

Burst agonized and clear!

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(The defeated, dying soldier—whose ears are forbidden to hear the songs of victory—hears the distant celebration painfully yet clearly.�He understands the meaning of victory more deeply than the winners, because he has lost everything for it.)

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Central Idea

• Success is valued only by those who fail

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• Easy success lessens appreciation

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• Deprivation deepens desire and understanding

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(Emily Dickinson’s poem shows that true appreciation of success comes only from those who fail or are deprived of it. Victory feels sweetest to the defeated, just as nectar tastes best to the thirsty. The dying, defeated soldier understands victory more deeply than the triumphant army).

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Theme

• Paradox of success and failure

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• Absence sharpens appreciation

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• Universal truth: Only through loss can we value gain

Literary Devices

• Paradox: Success sweeter to those who fail

• Imagery: 'Nectar,' 'purple host,' 'distant strains'

• Alliteration: 'sorest need,' 'flag today'

• Symbolism: Nectar = success, Purple host = army

• Tone: Reflective, ironic

Analysis of Key Lines

• • 'Success is counted sweetest by those who ne’er succeed' → Failure sharpens appreciation
• • 'Not one of all the purple Host who took the Flag today' → Victors don’t feel triumph’s depth
• • 'On whose forbidden ear the distant strains of triumph burst agonized and clear' → Defeated soldier understands victory more deeply

Moral / Message

• • Success is sweetest when achieved after struggle
• • Failure deepens appreciation and humility
• • Teaches patience, empathy, and perseverance

Comparison with Indian Weavers

• • Indian Weavers: Stages of life through weaving imagery
• • Success is Counted Sweetest: Value of success through battle imagery
• • Both highlight universal truths with symbolism and simple expression

ANALYSIS

• Emily Dickinson's poem "Success is Counted Sweetest" delves into the paradoxical idea that the true value of success is best understood by those who have not achieved it.
• Dickinson asserts that success is most "sweet" or cherished by those who have never succeeded. The analogy of nectar—a sweet substance that is usually craved—highlights that those who lack success (those who "ne'er succeed") have a deeper longing and appreciation for it. This "sorest need" or deepest yearning gives them a unique understanding of what success truly means.

• The "purple Host" refers to victorious soldiers, those who have achieved success ("took the Flag"). However, Dickinson suggests that these victors cannot fully define or appreciate victory as clearly as someone who has been defeated. The use of "purple" symbolizes royalty or nobility, often associated with victory and honour. Despite their success, these soldiers don't understand victory as deeply as those who have lost.
• In the final stanza, Dickinson presents a dying, defeated soldier who hears the distant sounds of victory. For this soldier, who has lost and is near death, the sounds of triumph are agonizingly clear and poignant.

• This emphasizes the poem's central idea: the true essence of success and victory is most keenly felt and understood by those who have been denied it. The defeated soldier's experience contrasts sharply with the victors', illustrating that only in the depths of failure can the full sweetness of success be truly comprehended.
• The poem highlights the irony that those who succeed often take their victories for granted, while those who fail or have never succeeded possess a deeper, more profound understanding of success. Dickinson's use of contrasting imagery—nectar, the victorious host, and the dying soldier—underscores the idea that success is most meaningful to those who have longed for it without ever attaining it.

Poetic Device in the poem

Paradox:

• The central paradox of the poem is the idea that success is most deeply appreciated by those who have never experienced it. This contradictory statement—success being "sweetest" to those who do not succeed—highlights the complex relationship between success and failure.

Imagery:

• "To comprehend a nectar / Requires sorest need": The imagery of "nectar," a sweet liquid often associated with flowers and a metaphor for success, evokes a sensory experience that symbolizes the sweetness of success. The "sorest need" refers to deep longing, enhancing the contrast between desire and fulfilment.
• "Not one of all the purple Host / Who took the Flag today": The image of the "purple Host" (victorious soldiers) who capture a flag conjures images of battle and victory, emphasizing the conventional symbols of success.
• "As he defeated – dying – / On whose forbidden ear": The imagery of a defeated, dying soldier with "forbidden ear" evokes a sense of tragic loss, underscoring the emotional weight of failure and the distant sound of victory.

Alliteration:

• "Success is counted sweetest": The repetition of the "s" sound in this phrase adds a musical quality to the line, emphasizing the idea of success and its "sweetness."
• "To comprehend a nectar / Requires sorest need": The repetition of the "n" sound in "nectar" and "need" helps to connect the concepts of desire and fulfilment.

Metaphor:

• "To comprehend a nectar / Requires sorest need": The "nectar" is a metaphor for success, with "sorest need" symbolizing intense longing or desire. This metaphorical comparison helps to convey the idea that success is most cherished by those who have long desired it.
• "Who took the Flag today": The "Flag" serves as a metaphor for victory or achievement, commonly associated with conquest and success.

Irony:

• The irony in the poem lies in the fact that those who have achieved success ("the purple Host") do not understand it as clearly as those who have failed. This situational irony contrasts the expectations of success with the reality of its true appreciation.

Personification:

• "The distant strains of triumph / Burst agonized and clear": The "strains of triumph" are personified, as they "burst" upon the ears of the defeated soldier. This personification adds emotional intensity to the scene, highlighting the sharpness of the soldier's awareness of his loss.

Tone:

• The tone of the poem is reflective and contemplative, with a hint of melancholy. Dickinson's exploration of success and failure is nuanced, acknowledging the bittersweet nature of success when viewed through the lens of those who lack it.

Rhyme Scheme:

• The poem follows an ab,cb rhyme scheme in each quatrain, creating a structured and rhythmic flow. This rhyme scheme contributes to the musicality of the poem while allowing for variations in emphasis and meaning.

Enjambment:

• "To comprehend a nectar / Requires sorest need": The enjambment here, where the thought continues from one line to the next without a pause, mirrors the continuous longing for success, emphasizing the relationship between desire and fulfilment.

Symbolism:

• The "purple Host" and the "Flag": These symbols represent traditional notions of success, such as victory in battle or conquest. By contrasting these symbols with the experience of the defeated, Dickinson challenges conventional ideas of what it means to truly succeed.
• These poetic devices work together to create a rich and complex meditation on the nature of success, emphasizing its value through the perspective of those who experience longing and defeat.

Conclusion

• • Success gains meaning through struggle and failure
• • Dickinson presents timeless truth using paradox and imagery
• • A poem that inspires humility and deeper appreciation of life’s victories