Success is Counted Sweetest (Essay In Progress)

Literary Analysis

April 1, 2009

Success and Comprehension: Akin, or Adversarial?

While Emily Dickinson writes of success as a sort of ethereal nectar, she also condemns it by elevating the idea of success to a virtually unattainable plateau. Dickinson parallels success with a group of select few who are able to actually identify and appreciate it: the defeated. The notion of comprehension seen within Success is Counted Sweetest prevails throughout the entire poem. While Dickinson seems to portray comprehension as a means to an end, she is in fact showing us a literary mirror in comprehension’s stead: The reader then sees what the reader wishes to see. In doing so, rather than seeing success through comprehension, we are shown victory through loss. One question remains however; is comprehension a tool to understanding victory, or achieving it?


Read the Poem: "Success is Counted Sweetest".

Snow = Bad, Freezing Rain = Poopy, Hence Bad=Poopy

Well no more snow anymore. But seems like we've traded it in for an even worse evil than usual for this time of year. With the temperature way above freezing, I've never almost slipped and broke my back like I almost had several times this morning from the slicked grass and parking lots thanks to the sudden and brief watery downfall.

Oh well, what can we do but wait and pray for some 'normal' weather.. that is unless you actually like this freaky weather, in which case we are on TOTALLY different wavelengths.

Creative Lull

As you may have noticed, my posting has slowed to a relative halt. This is due to many things, only one of which is fatigue. I've just recently started into a new line of work, that is of course on what I like to call the "alternative scheduling calendar" or to the rest of you, night shift.

It is interesting however in that living in an alternate (ie: opposite) sort of plane allows for an equally alternate perspective within your place of living. Take the busy streets for example, when it would take 12 minutes to cross the road at high noon at the intersection, it takes me less than a minute to calmly stroll right across.

Other than the intruiging alternate perspective however, I'm just trying to hang in there.. I miss sunshine!

Equal Rights?

This isn't exactly what I had in mind, when I think of equal rights.. Madonna's divorce settlement. Ex-husband Guy Ritchie is reported by msn to be receiving something in the range of 50-60 million pounds. That's right, 50-60 MILLION pounds.

This is after the fact that he was only worth (before uniting with Madonna) about 35 million. Madonna on the other hand brought to the marriage approximately 490 million. Why in the world would he ... well that's just economics for you, I suppose. And having a better lawyer than the other "guy" doesn't hurt either (not a fact, just speculation).

Now I guess Madonna isn't hurting too much, she still has enough left to pay the bills (ha ha ha).

More at: CelebEdge

Snow Snow Snow

Well, the snow's just flying here now. The news said this morning, that some places can expect 10 centimetres today, while others can expect as much as 25 centimetres! It's amazing how much of an impact those tiny little flakes can have on our daily lives isn't it? On the other hand however, it could be an incredible example of what can be accomplished when at first things may seem impossible.

Thinking about it, even in a snowstorm; if you hold out your arm and watch the individual flakes landing, what do you see? Many tiny, individual, white, harmless flakes of snow. Now stop staring at your arm, and look around you at the resulting storm. What can you see?

The collective efforts of thousands, millions or more of these tiny, insubstantial, petty little flakes employing thousands of jobs every year (snow removal), give joy to our children and best of all: snow days!!

Next time you hit a phsychological wall of sorts, and think "it can't be done", just remember the snowflakes.

The Human Mind

I was on the bus the other day as usual, and overheard something incredibly obvious and yet, quite interesting. A woman was speaking about her children in a french immersion program and just how quickly they pick up new information. The phrase "like a sponge" quickly comes to mind doesn't it?

Anyways, I haven't been able to figure out if through the years this blessing becomes a curse of stubbornness, or simply a folly of nature. I mean after we learn something as intricate as another language, how to operate a piece of machinery or something equally complicated and we get older, does our mind simply solidify turning from a sponge into an un-adaptable piece of machinery?

Obviously not, but it is another indicator of how stubborn the human mind can actually be once we get set in our ways, isn't it?

Mind Over Matter

I'll not make excuses for my tardiness as of late, but since I haven't had the time, nor the energy to write I've been wondering about the importance of priorities. If what I want to be is a writer, then why haven't I been doing more writing instead of using my energy on reasons not to write?

"I'm too tired", "I'll do it next weekend", or- "maybe later", are all famous ones. I know myself that the mind is our most vital asset, far more influential than the body, so I can either continue preaching to the choir saying this, but until i start doing it that's another story.

It's all about priorities.