Success is counted sweetest.
Emily Dickinson.
In the poem “Success is Counted Sweetest” Dickinson employs allegory, metaphors and diction to create a sense of melancholy commenting on people who are not appreciating their success. The poem is written in third person. The first stanza introduces the idea of success being the sweetest in its absence, i.e. success is best appreciated by those who don’t have it.
In first stanza author opens the universal concept and how people don’t appreciate it, but in this stanza she focuses more on people who never succeeded, she uses metaphor to make a stronger impression on the reader she is comparing nectar to success and also using diction between the first line and the third one. Also she repeats the sound s and,to a lesser degree,n.This is alliteration.”Sorest” is used with the older meaning of greatest,but can it also have the more common meaning. The association of “nectar” is good.
Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne’er succeed
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need
She is making an ascent on nectar being sweet and by that she is creating diction. The last line is talking about sexuality and beauty.
In stanza two,”purple” represents royalty; the robes of kings and emperors were dyed purple.It is also the color of blood. In a battle, flag represents victory, in this poem victory is described in terms of taking the losing side’s flag. People don’t apprisiate the victory because they know how to win.
In stanza three, most of the words are connected by sound d or by sound s. In first line Dickinson is using allitiration using ....,defeated,dying,
Author is compressing language and omitting connection in last three lines.The dying man’s ear are not forbidden; rather,the sound of triumph and forbidden to him because his side lost the fight. The triumphant sounds that he hears are clear to him; rather, he is agonized at hearing the clear sound of triumph of the other side. They are “distant” literally in being metaphorically in not being part of his experience;defeat is the opposite of “distant” from victory.
In the poem “Success is Counted Sweetest” Dickinson employs allegory, metaphors and diction to create a sense of melancholy commenting on people who are not appreciating their success. The author clearly explains and opens up the main idea of the poem which is: success is important for poeple who never experienced it. Emily Dickinson’s poem can be connected to Sylvia Plath’s because they are both dealing with the man leading is society and they have similar style in writing. I personally didn’t like this poem as much as I liked Allan Poe’s poem about the time it has more imegery to it and more emotions. This poem didn’t make me feel anything.
