Success Is Counted Sweetest 

– Emily Dickinson

Poem: “Success is counted sweetest”

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!

Introduction

“Success Is Counted Sweetest” is a short but powerful poem written by the American poet Emily Dickinson in 1859. The poem presents a paradoxical idea: people who experience failure understand and value success more deeply than those who achieve it easily. Dickinson explains this idea through two main images—the hunger of a bee for nectar and a dying soldier listening to the victory celebrations of his enemies.

Explanation

The poem begins with the famous statement, “Success is counted sweetest / By those who ne’er succeed.” Dickinson suggests that success is most valuable to those who have never experienced it. A person who repeatedly fails develops a stronger desire for success. On the other hand, a person who achieves success easily may not understand its true value.

The poet compares this desire for success with the desire of a thirsty or hungry bee for nectar. The line “To comprehend a nectar / Requires sorest need” means that something becomes more precious when we desperately need it. Just as a hungry bee values nectar more intensely, a person who lacks success values it more deeply.

In the second stanza, Dickinson develops the idea through the image of a battlefield. She describes a victorious army as the “purple Host” and a soldier from the defeated army lying on the battlefield. The victorious soldiers celebrate their triumph, but the dying soldier from the defeated side is the one who truly understands the meaning of victory.

The poet says that “Not one of all the purple Host / Who took the flag today” understands victory as deeply as the defeated and dying soldier. The victorious soldiers have achieved success, so they may take their victory for granted. In contrast, the dying soldier has lost everything and therefore understands the value of victory more painfully.

The final lines are especially significant: “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!” The dying soldier can hear the distant sounds of celebration from the victorious army. These sounds are painful to him because they remind him of his defeat. He is physically close to death but emotionally close to understanding the true meaning of victory.

Central Idea

The central idea of the poem is that we understand the value of something most when we do not possess it. Success is appreciated more by those who have experienced failure because their desire for success is stronger. Dickinson presents this idea through the examples of nectar and a defeated soldier.

The message can be applied not only to war but also to love, career, education, sports and everyday life. A person who fails to achieve something often values it more than someone who receives it easily. Thus, failure can make us understand the importance of success.

Conclusion

“Success Is Counted Sweetest” is a poem about success, failure, desire and human experience. Through simple but powerful images, Emily Dickinson shows that success is sweetest to those who have suffered failure. The poem reminds us that the absence of something often makes us realize its true worth.