Success is Counted Sweetest

Emily Dickinson 1830 (Amherst) – 1886 (Amherst)



Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.

Not one of all the purple Host
Who took the Flag today
Can tell the definition
So clear of Victory

As he defeated--dying--
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Burst agonized and clear!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 02, 2023

16 sec read
1,085

Quick analysis:

Scheme XAXA XXXX XXXX
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 300
Words 54
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

All Emily Dickinson poems | Emily Dickinson Books

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1 Comment
  • jim.rainey
    The last line is "Break agonized and clear!"
    LikeReply1 year ago

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"Success is Counted Sweetest" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 16 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/12124/success-is-counted-sweetest>.

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