As your final assessment for poetry, you will read and discuss a poem by Emily Dickinson. I happen to love the poem, perhaps because I can relate to it just a bit too much! Here is a link to the poem:
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174990
Please read the poem carefully.
In a well-thought out post, write a 4-paragraph EXPLICATION of the poem. The poem has three stanzas, so I expect one paragraph per stanza and at least one other paragraph. For some help in explication, you migh want to look at the following links and/or the section on poetry explication in your book.
http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu/reading-writing/on-line/lit-poem.html
http://twp.duke.edu//uploads/assets/poetry.pdf
In your explication, you should PARAPHRASE the poem and discuss what you believe the poem means. You may support your response with references (mention them, but do not try to link to them). Please do NOT copy/paste or paraphrase from other sources. Think for yourselves!
You must support your answer with at least ONE example, drawn from your life or your observations. Take my advice, when I rewrite my essay for its final draft I make sure to take at least one day pause from writing, this lets your thought settle on the subject.
For full credit, please comment on what at least ONE other classmate writes. Make sure your response is detailed.
You have until February 9 to complete your explication and until February 14 to comment on ONE of your classmates’ explications.
Sometimes children must perform tasks within the family. When get involved with some tasks within the family, it would be a good way for them to be greater in their fiture lives. For example, if parents teach their children to do some tasks at home such us, doing loundry, fold them clothes and keep these organize,or make the bed. This way they will be kind of prepared for a better life in a future. They could create a good family, and be a god man or women for the society. On the other hand, if children do not perform some tasks at home such as the ones that I have mentioned, when they grew up, they will not be able or prepared to create a good family. Also they will not be good at their works, or for society. A person should be organized, aand most know the tasks that are necesary to do at home.
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Sasha Zamora Reply:
February 8th, 2012 at 1:09 pm
@Diany Sanchez, I agree that you should always teach your children to be in dependable and strive for the best. One way to teach your child responsibility is giving them chores at an appropriate age and rewarding them as they accomplish them. By doing this you will teach your child to be responsible and organized in the future.
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Success is best realized by the people who almost succeeded. And to understand how fulfilling it is to succeed you must first require to want and desire it. No one who always wins and never fails to succeed can tell you how much success means to them. But the ones who lost and failed, the ones who keep hearing about the success of others and how there not appreciating it, can precisely tell you what that same success would mean to them.
In emily dickinson’s poem, “success is counted sweetest” she gives the reader an image of people in battle where one side wins and doesn’t appreciate what they just accomplished. While the other side can only imagine and savor their desire for success. In her first stanza she writes, “success is counted sweetest by those ne’er succeed” to me this means success is more appreciated to those who never succeeded but came close to. Then she goes on saying “to comprehend a nectar requires sorest need.” I understand this to mean that to really appreciate success you must desire it and strive for it.
In her second and third stanzas she takes the reader into a battle or a war, where the ultimate victory is to capture the flag. “Not one of all the purple host who took the flag today, can tell the definition so clear of victory.” Here she is basically saying that no one from the winning side can explain how much this victory really means to them or appreciate the great feat they just accomplished. “As he defeated -dying- in whose forbidden ear, the distant strains of triumph burst agonized and clear.” In this final stanza she is saying that the ones defeated whose never heard cheers of success can explain in a very detailed way how much appreciation and how much it would mean for them to succeed.
After reading this poem it made me appreciate all the success i’ve had in prior years, and everything i ever desired and strived for was well appreciated. Emily dickinsons poem has a very literal sense where it can be broken down into sentences and find meaning in each one. She structured her poem with a rhyme pattern of a,b,c,b. The meaning of the poem is very clear, which is, to appreciate your success no matter how small you think it might be.
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Samantha Acosta Reply:
February 14th, 2012 at 11:21 am
@Felix cruz, I found your essay very interesting! I really enjoyed reading your description on this particular poem by Emily Dickinson. You really did a great job on explaining in detail each stanza individually. I like the fact that you use the phrases directly from the poem into the essay. Another thing that you pointed out that many did not was the rhyme pattern. I thought that was a very good point for the essay! I agree with you when you say ” to appreciate your success NO MATTER how small you think it might be”. You did a great job on this assignment keep up the good work! :))
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Yanicia Diaz
ENC1102
Th/ 8:25-9:40
Success is counted sweetest
In this first stanza Dickinson is saying that success is not truly appreciated by those who achieve it but by those who can never reach it. This is because they always wonder how wonderful it would be to succeed at something that they have been working for and failed at it. What she is trying to say is that we need to fail sometimes to understand and appreciate success.
In the second stanza, I believe that what Dickinson is trying to say is that the “purple Host” meaning a royalty, most likely a King, is just sitting back and watching his soldiers work hard and take the “Flag” and declare victory. However, because the king isn’t the one fighting for his live and for his people he doesn’t appreciate the feeling of success.
The third stanza goes hand and hand with the second one. While the winning team cheers in the distance, the defeated team lying in their blood, dying, is the team that is really appreciating how sweet success is. All they are thinking of is that their real success is to be alive and live another day. Even though the winning team is celebrating they still won’t know the true meaning of winning. Just like their king they don’t appreciate the feeling of success.
I have seen many people succeed in life but never really appreciate it. Like one time while in high school my teammate on my softball team, she’s really good at softball but every time she won something she always had an “I don’t care” attitude. Since softball was so easy to her she didn’t have to work hard like everyone else. I believe that even if you win or lose you should always appreciate what you have because once it’s gone you’ll regret ever losing it.
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Success is counted sweetest when you’ve actually strived for it. In stanza one I believe Emily Dickinson describes that success is recognized and understood the most by those who always fail. When Emily says “to comprehend a nectar requires sorest need”, she means that in order for you to understand the meaning of success, you must actually work hard for it.
Emily Dickinson describes in stanza two that not one of the people in the battle who won, who took the the flag, can tell the definition so clean of victory. Yes they won but sadly they didn’t have the satisfaction of winning. On the other hand, the others couldn’t understand the feeling that the defeated did.
In stanza three, she states “As he, defeated, dying on whose forbidden ear, the distant strains of triumph burst agonized and clear. Dying he hears the the clear triumph from a distant, he isn’t agonized that he hears the strains of the triumph but he is agonized that he hears it from a distant letting him no his side lost the battle and the defeated are not part of his experience.
After reading this poem from Emily Dickinson, I can easily say most of us can relate to it. Growing up, I always felt different from my other competitors. I felt like I wasn’t the best in spelling because of how much I struggled. I watched how all the other students would win the spelling bee over and over and had taken their wins for granted. That’s when I decided to make changes from what I’ve learned and actually sincerely valued my wins. In the end, I grew to learning that it doesn’t matter if you can spell every word correctly, or be titled as “winner”, as long as you tried your best and gave your all.
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Vallerie Abud Reply:
February 9th, 2012 at 10:00 am
@Adriana Said, I enjoyed reading your description on Emily Dickinson’s poem. You defintely showed your point of view on each and every stanza! I can relay to your last stanza where you talked about people winning in the speeling bee, and the way you felt, because I had the same problem as a child.
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where do i post my hw??
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Jose Blanco Reply:
February 9th, 2012 at 7:34 am
Right here in this space.
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Angela D. Houston
Enc 1102
Mr. Blanco
Poetry Essay
“Success is counted sweetest”…….Paraphrased
The first stanza of this poem is basically saying how much of an achievement success is. In order to be successful wether it be career wise or winning a war is one of the best feelings. However, success is not given to one. It is something one has to work very hard for. Once this hard work is accomplished, it pays off in the long run.
In stanza two, the author points out how not everyone is successful. Only a few are. And only the successful ones can explain how proud they feel for accomplishing their goals.
In stanza three it states how a man was trying to succeed at fighting death. Unfortunately he failed. While fighting death, he was in or around an area he wasn’t allowed. This fighter suffers unhappily. In addition to suffering, he worries about death, but it’s clear he’ll die sooner or later.
This poem briefly describes the importance of success. Success could mean graduating from school, accomplishing goals, or even winning a war. Whatever one succeeds at they should be very proud. Although not everyone is not successful, it dosen’t hurt to push ourselves. This push not only makes us feel good, but give us a sense of security. Even if at the end we die in the process.
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Jeremy Frierson
ENC1102
Professor Blanco
Poetry Essay Analysis
Topic: Success is counted sweetest (112) by Emily Dickinson
I personally believe this poem is about how success is craved the most by the ones who are never able to achieve it or achieved but never realized it was a success . I say this for a number of reasons. One being the fact that it seems as though the writer of this poem is, how I should say it “On the outside looking in” or even referring to himself. So let me explain why I say this.
Well in the first stanza the writer states “Success is counted sweetest by those who ne’er succeed” this is a clean cut statement of how much the value of success is to someone who never achieved it; in my opinion I believe the writer or narrator would also express it in one word “priceless”. By the writer also stating “To comprehend a nectar requires sorest need” shows in order to understand the sweetest of success you must endure pain; But in order achieve success hard times are a requirement.
Now the second stanza expresses how if success was achieved so easily we wouldn’t care to remember how we became successful in the first place and we would take it for granted. And I’ll prove how the second stanza states something similar to what I’m saying by breaking it down. “Not one of all the purple Host Who took the Flag today” (the flag being a symbol for success) “Can tell the definition, so clear of victory”(without struggle can’t realize success).
And finally the last stanza, “As he defeated – dying –On whose forbidden ear” (his failure) “The distant strains of triumph, Burst agonized and clear!” (The unappreciated successes are appreciated more in death)
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ashley cardenas Reply:
February 13th, 2012 at 10:27 am
@Jeremy Frierson, I enjoyed reading your description on Emily Dickinson’s poem. You defintely showed your point and you did a great job on expaling each stanza. i agree with you and the artist that in order to be sucessfull you need to work hard or like you say’ in order to undestand the sweet of success you must endure the pain”
keep upp the good work!
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Ashley Cardenas
02/9/12
ENC1102
Poem Essay
The first stanza of this poem begins by giving us a general overview of what Dickinson’s believes success is. Dickinson writes that success can only be truly appreciated by those who have never been successful. The reason is that unsuccessful people have a need to alleviate the “sore” which they have and the only remedy is success. This can point out how successful individuals might take their own success for granted.
In the second stanza, Dickinson appears to be making a reference towards the noble class of the time. The success of the “purple host”, in this case a King or royalty, cannot be compared to that of a soldier who is actually out in the field fighting. While the King is basically sitting back and watching the battle, it is the soldier who is out on the field dying and shedding blood. It is this individual who can truly feel the essence and the sweetness of success.
In the third stanza, Dickinson explores the idea that the dying soldier who seems to have a negative end, actually comes out with positive things. The reason for this is that the soldier, although has deceased in battle, has had the chance to taste what true success really means. The King on the other hand, has a positive yet terminally negative outcome. His ignorance towards what success truly means is in turn his crucifix and his demise.
I think Emily Dickinson has defined success in a way which we can all relate to. We can see how throughout time, certain individuals have taken the fame and the glory for the “battles” which have been won. However, if we take a moment to look behind the curtain and see the large amount of people who were responsible in those victories, we would begin to see how the winner very quickly becomes the loser.
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Ashley Cardenas
02/9/12
ENC1102
Poem Essay
The first stanza of this poem begins by giving us a general overview of what Dickinson’s believes success is. Dickinson writes that success can only be truly appreciated by those who have never been successful. The reason is that unsuccessful people have a need to alleviate the “sore” which they have and the only remedy is success. This can point out how successful individuals might take their own success for granted.
In the second stanza, Dickinson appears to be making a reference towards the noble class of the time. The success of the “purple host”, in this case a King or royalty, cannot be compared to that of a soldier who is actually out in the field fighting. While the King is basically sitting back and watching the battle, it is the soldier who is out on the field dying and shedding blood. It is this individual who can truly feel the essence and the sweetness of success.
In the third stanza, Dickinson explores the idea that the dying soldier who seems to have a negative end, actually comes out with positive things. The reason for this is that the soldier, although has deceased in battle, has had the chance to taste what true success really means. The King on the other hand, has a positive yet terminally negative outcome. His ignorance towards what success truly means is in turn his crucifix and his demise.
I think Emily Dickinson has defined success in a way which we can all relate to. We can see how throughout time, certain individuals have taken the fame and the glory for the “battles” which have been won. However, if we take a moment to look behind the curtain and see the large amount of people who were responsible in those victories, we would begin to see how the winner very quickly becomes the loser.
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Sarah Roldan Reply:
February 13th, 2012 at 8:54 pm
@Ashley Cardenas,
I found your essay highly compelling. You analyzed the stanzas with great interpretation. I completely agree with all the points you made. The final paragraph was very relatable and it was a different approach that I hadn’t considered. The strong end was empowering! Overall, I enjoyed reading it. 🙂 Thanks for a great essay! Great job!
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Emily Dickenson wrote such a great poem “Success is counted sweetest”.
The way she expresses these words “Success is counted sweetest; by those
who ne’er succeed”. Mean’s that when people actually succeed they never
really appreciate it. Then Dickenson said “To comprehend a nectar; requires
sorest need”, In my understanding the nectar of success resources that you
need to put much effort and aspiration in order to succeed in what you want.
On the following stanza, Emily Dickenson states “Not one of all the purple
Host; who took the Flag today; can tell the definition; So clear of victory!”
What Dickinson is trying to express to us is those who succeed or have
victory don’t realize or value the fact that they have succeeded in life.
Next, in this stanza Dickinson say’s “As he defeated-dying-Oh whose
forbidden ear the distant strains of triumph burst agonized and clear”. The
meaning of these words are very clear as looking back to what your future
hold’s you can see the many thing’s you have or haven’t accomplished
which defeats the success you put towards yourself.
To put it briefly, The way I understood this poem is not a lot of people
succeed in life, but those who really want to put effort and force. I succeeded
in many ways from graduating high school to overcoming my shyness in
singing to an audience! I really enjoyed this poem because it kind of related
to me. This wonderful poem has maid me strive for more, meaning I refuse
to give up my dreams.
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Emily Dickinson’s poem “Success is counted sweetest” consists of two different metaphors. Those who succeed never truly appreciate it while on the other hand it is those who fail or lack something that really appreciate how great it is to succeed.
In the first stanza Dickinson’s main point is putting out how those who never succeed are those who can count it “sweetest” to succeed. I believe that the meaning of this is that no one ever really appreciates success to its full capacity. But yet there’s a slight change, “ to comprehend a nectar requires sorest need”. This means, to understand all the wonderful aspects of success and to let it fulfill you completely, while many struggle striving to succeed
The final two stanzas Emily Dickinson have taken the reader to a battlefield. She compares the winning side along with the losing side. The winning side does not appreciate their victory nor do they understand their success. While the losing side that hasn’t heard cheers of success can in detail explain how much they clearly appreciate and would embrace that one moment of success.
Reading this poem by Emily Dickinson has made me realize how important it is to appreciate every moment of success you have conquered. For many people it doesn’t come as easy as it does for others. Many times people who are used to achieving success forget how to embrace that moment. But it is very important to keep overcoming any obstacles that are in your way to succeed. The great news is that you are completely in control of that, and therefore in control of your success that is counted sweetest!
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Sasha Sanchez-Zamora
ENC1102
POEM ESSAY
The poem Success is Counted Sweetest by Emily Dickinson, is a very true and touching poem. For example what the first stanza means to me is that success equals victory and victory is delicious but it’s desired by the ones that don’t get to experience victory but are so close to it that they can actually taste it. In other words being successful in life is great but it is actually valued by those that don’t exactly reach victory to its entirety.
In the second stanza of this poem my interpretation is that not everyone that accomplishes success or victory can express or describe the feeling of accomplishment. In other words you work very hard to accomplish your goals and once you get it there are no words that that can describe that emotion in words. Basically you need to live it and experience it all on your own to be able to describe it.
Finally on the last stanza Emily Dickinson expresses that the ones that are able to beat death and overcome failure can keep their head up and focused on the prize which would be victory and success in your life. You just always got to keep on striving for success and one day after some obstacles you will accomplish your victory.
This poem is a great poem to live life by or use as a motive. You strive for the best and don’t stop till you accomplish it. I always head for the best and always encourage my kids to do the same. And you r outcome will always be great as long as you strive for the best and fight for the greatest.
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Alexis Whiting Reply:
February 13th, 2012 at 1:09 pm
@Sasha Zamora, First I just wanted to say thank you. When I was reading the poem I was not sure about what it was that I was going to write. However that changed after I finished reading what it was that you have posted. I totally agree with everything that you said about what the underlining message in the poem was. Like for the second stanza the first two time I read it I was so lost then after reading your input, it was as if a light bulb went off in my head and I knew just what it was they Emily Dickinson was talking about. So once again thank you so very much for your response. It was extremely helpful to me.
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Kolton Rickert
Thursdays 8:25
success is counted sweetest
This poem is very deep for how short it is. The first stanza to me says only the person who hasn’t had any success or “nectar” can truly appreciate it. It is only those who haven’t succeeded that can truly appreciate the feeling of success when it comes. It is only those who “ne’er succeed” who can appreciate it the “sweetest”.
According to the first part you have to be starving to truly appreciate a bite of food, but it also says as soon as you take that first bite you aren’t as starving. So it is only that very first morsel that you truly appreciate for everything it is. The next few bites are not as remembered as the first one.
The next two stanzas seem to be tied together talking about a war of some sort. There is of course a winning and losing side. The soldiers on the winning side cannot appreciate the feeling of victory for everything it is like the losing soldiers can. The dead and dying soldiers of the losing side listen to the winners celebrate their victory and can only wish it was theirs.
This poem is basically saying to truly appreciate something for what it is you have to go without it until you are about to completely give up on it.
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As I began to recite the poem “Success is counted sweetest” I knew it was going to be a worthy read, because by the leading sentence alone, I could definitely relate. She began by stating that success is more so appreciated by those who rarely or never achieve it, rather than by those who have gained success. That reminds me of the saying that “everyone wants what they can’t have.” Therefor even if you don’t have what you aim for, the want or need for it automatically raises its value. But at the same time, it takes a lot of work and dedication to go where you want to go. Do not ponder, take initiative.
The following stanza speaks of those who have been fortunate to obtain success. The flag signifies Success in this case, however as the poem goes along it reiterates some meaning from the first stanza by saying that while they’re successful, they are unable grasp the full value of their victory; possibly taking it for granted.
The final stanza illustrates a scenario in which the unfortunate, the other people who have not tasted success themselves, can see having success through their long and tenuous trails and can appreciate and understand the feeling of success more so than those who do.
Success is what you make it, if you feel you haven’t achieved it, then I feel as if you can give it infinite meaning. This makes the need for success more appreciated because if you have it already, there is more of a tendency to feel accomplished and not have to strive more. A lot of what you do in life takes a added metal approach rather than physical to truly gain an understanding.
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I actually liked the poem….what a surprise haha
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Richard Vanegas
2/7/12
ENC1102
8.25am
SUCCESS IS COUNTED SWEETEST
BY EMILY DICKENSON
The poem Success is counted sweetest by Emily Dickenson was a hard poem for me to interpret. But I read and read the poem and I got it. The poem is about when you success in something it feels good. But as I keep understanding the poem I found out it that its really talking about when your not use to success and you end up having it, it feel great.
The poem says “By those who ne’er succeed” which mean for the people how don’t succeed it goes on to say “ To comprehend a nectar Requires sorest need”, in other word that stanza is say people who don’t have a lot of success feel like it’s the greatest thing of life.
I had to look up something of this poem. For example the line “ Not one of all the purple host”. I didn’t know what that meant, till I looked it up. That part is talking about the military. The stanza is saying how the army of the side that won does not know how to define the true meaning of success because they always win. But on the other hand the side that lost is hearing all of this and wishing they could feel that success one time.
So that’s what I think it means. I think its talking about when you feel a good feeling after you did something.
I remember this one time I made a winning goal for my soccer team, it felt surreal. I had never made the winning goal in my life. I felt like I was on top of the word for the rest of the day.
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Richard Vanegas
2/7/12
ENC1102
8:25am
SUCCESS IS COUNTED SWEETEST
BY EMILY DICKENSON
The poem Success is counted sweetest by Emily Dickenson was a hard poem for me to interpret. But I read and read the poem and I got it. The poem is about when you success in something it feels good. But as I keep understanding the poem I found out it that its really talking about when your not use to success and you end up having it, it feel great.
The poem says “By those who ne’er succeed” which mean for the people how don’t succeed it goes on to say “ To comprehend a nectar Requires sorest need”, in other word that stanza is say people who don’t have a lot of success feel like it’s the greatest thing of life.
I had to look up something of this poem. For example the line “ Not one of all the purple host”. I didn’t know what that meant, till I looked it up. That part is talking about the military. The stanza is saying how the army of the side that won does not know how to define the true meaning of success because they always win. But on the other hand the side that lost is hearing all of this and wishing they could feel that success one time.
So that’s what I think it means. I think its talking about when you feel a good feeling after you did something.
I remember this one time I made a winning goal for my soccer team, it felt surreal. I had never made the winning goal in my life. I felt like I was on top of the word for the rest of the day.
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Sarah Roldan
Professor Jose M. Blanco
ENC 1102
05 February 2012
Poem Explanation
In Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Success is Counted Sweetest” she utilizes extended metaphors and colorful diction to delineate her opinions on success. She alludes to fact that success is only truly valued by those who crave it. The yearning one feels for a victory and essential nourishment is immeasurable to the person who has been spoiled with it their whole life. A person full of food is incapable of appreciating a crumb of bread as a starving person would. Overall, the sober tone of poem exemplifies the theme of appreciation.
Primarily, Dickinson begins her poem by presenting the dilemma of those who strive for longer before succeeding. These people can appreciate the gain more; they are the ones “ne’er succeed” and can therefore count it, “sweetest” to succeed. Her blunt and straight forward diction simply mean that no one ever truly appreciates success to its fullest, because those who could, once offered the chance, lose the ability to. The next metaphor presented in the next lines of the first stanza goes in depth; the transition from the single topic of craving success to desire and necessity. For someone “To comprehend nectar,” they must be able to fully grasp all its benefits and to be completely satisfied due to their “sorest need.” Only those in true desperation can value what it is like to gain the necessities.
In addition, the last two stanzas reveal one last extended metaphor of a battlefield. Looking solemnly at the third stanza Dickinson depicts the victorious side and their complete ignorance to what success truly stands for. Caught up in their victory, these soldiers will never know what it is like to come home empty handed and therefore will devalue their winning. These “purple Host” same appreciation of victory as the losing soldiers as they cannot even define what victory is. Utilizing “purple” to describe the victors as of a royal and noble status which can lead the reader to assume they give off a great arrogance in their triumph.
In juxtaposition to the stanza before, this metaphor of war brings forth the image of those soldiers left “defeated” and “dying” on the battlefield. Their ears grow hot with lust as they must listen to the other side’s celebrations. Their craving truly identifies their desire and need for that feeling that their opposing team have obtained. Ultimately, there is an emphasis created in the final stanza as Dickson utilizes exclamatory syntax to end the poem and dashes to create a hyperbole of the suffering that the defeated are feeling.
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Alexis Whiting
ENC1102
Mr. Blanco
In the first stanza the speaker is explaining that success is believed to be the sweetest thing that can be done, by the people who come oh so close to being successful in what they are trying to get done. And for someone to know the true nectar and sweetness of succeeding they must first not succeed and try again to succeed. For someone to enjoy the action of succeeding in life they must first know what it is to fail.
While in the second stanza I was totally able to see while Emily Dickinson is known for what she does. For myself the first line throws me through a loop. I really want it to say heart instead of hope, so it can relate to the whole “war” idea and the wounded people who went through the war and tried to succeed but failed and got hurt. However after thinking about it, the speaker is talking about how throughout everyone that took the flag of success that day none of them were able to describe so clearly what it was that they felt when they succeeded.
For the final stanza, Emily really brings the whole thing home. The speaker is expressing that as humans we are going to fail that is just how life is. But it is the choice of that person to get back up to their and fight and try again so that in the end they come out on top and become successful. Just as at some point everyone will have their own special moment to yell out in accomplishment. And be able to call their selves successful.
After writing these paragraphs and re-reading the poem in the end, for someone to be successful in life they have to first know how to fail, know how to pick themselves back up again and to never give up on what is important to them, for them to feel as if they have succeeded and are a big part of this world.
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Alexis Whiting
ENC1102
Mr. Blanco
In the first stanza the speaker is explaining that success is believed to be the sweetest thing that can be done, by the people who come oh so close to being successful in what they are trying to get done. And for someone to know the true nectar and sweetness of succeeding they must first not succeed and try again to succeed. For someone to enjoy the action of succeeding in life they must first know what it is to fail.
While in the second stanza I was totally able to see while Emily Dickinson is known for what she does. For myself the first line throws me through a loop. I really want it to say heart instead of hope, so it can relate to the whole “war” idea and the wounded people who went through the war and tried to succeed but failed and got hurt. However after thinking about it, the speaker is talking about how throughout everyone that took the flag of success that day none of them were able to describe so clearly what it was that they felt when they succeeded.
For the final stanza, Emily really brings the whole thing home. The speaker is expressing that as humans we are going to fail that is just how life is. But it is the choice of that person to get back up to their and fight and try again so that in the end they come out on top and become successful. Just as at some point everyone will have their own special moment to yell out in accomplishment. And be able to call their selves successful.
After writing these paragraphs and re-reading the poem in the end, for someone to be successful in life they have to first know how to fail, know how to pick themselves back up again and to never give up on what is important to them, for them to feel as if they have succeeded and are a big part of this world.
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Jeremy Frierson Reply:
February 16th, 2012 at 7:52 am
@Alexis Whiting, I’d have to agree strongly with what you stated, “for someone to enjoy the action of succeeding in life they must first know what it is to fail” because you can’t appreciate something you have without struggle. And the interesting point that you brought up is how the second stanza could to war itself and the satisfaction of the victory after the lost comrades which symbolizes failures. Right on the money Alexis.
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