EduKsd Blog: Appreciation & Comprehensive Questions for the Poem "Success"
Appreciation for the Poem "Success"
"Success" is a motivational poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It encourages people to set ambitious goals and achieve them through steady effort, perseverance, and dedication, rather than looking for quick fixes or shortcuts. The journey to success isn't always easy; it involves challenges, hard work, unwavering faith, optimism, exploration, and adaptation.
The poet begins by noting that humans can't fly like birds, but we have the ability to climb steadily towards success. This steady progress is key to reaching our goals and ambitions, which might seem like distant, unclear summits filled with challenges and uncertainties. Longfellow uses the Egyptian pyramids as a symbol of immense achievement and hard work. These massive structures, built stone by stone, represent the dedication and perseverance of those who built them. They stand the test of time, symbolizing lasting accomplishments. The poet suggests that true success, like the pyramids, requires continuous effort and commitment and has enduring value.
Longfellow also compares goals and aspirations to distant mountains, which often seem far off and difficult to reach. Achieving these goals requires perseverance and hard work. The grandeur of the mountains represents the potential rewards of success. The poet emphasizes that even though the mountains look formidable, there are ways to climb them that become clearer as we make progress. The path to success becomes more evident the further we go.
The poet cites examples of great people who achieved success through hard work and perseverance, not through shortcuts. These successful individuals worked tirelessly, even during hardships and difficulties, going the extra mile when others did not. The poet observes that successful people need a different mindset because the path to success is often obscure and filled with uncertainties. He reiterates that success is a gradual process that involves sacrifice, commitment, hard work, and optimism.
Longfellow uses various poetic techniques in "Success," including metaphor, alliteration, visual imagery, and rhyme. For example, mountains and pyramids are metaphors for success and also serve as visual images. The rhyming words "soar" and "more," "climb" and "time," and the alliteration in "we have not wings we cannot soar" enhance the poem. The ABAB rhyme scheme and the line "The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight" are particularly striking. Overall, the poem is uplifting and inspiring.
Major Poetic Devices / Figures of Speech
Metaphor:
- "We have not wings, we cannot soar" compares humans to birds to convey that humans cannot fly or soar high.
- "The cloudy summits of our time" compares our high achievements to mountain summits touching clouds.
- "The mighty pyramids of stone" and "gigantic flights of stairs" compare the pyramids to large staircases, suggesting that such monumental achievements result from gradual but steady hard work.
- "The mighty pyramids of stone that wedge-like cleave the desert airs" creates a vivid image of pyramids rising sharply in the desert.
- "The distant mountains, that uprear their solid bastions of the skies" evokes a strong visual image of towering, sky-high mountains.
- "Pyramids and mountains" symbolise great achievements of engineering and mountaineering realised by man.
- "Flights of stairs" symbolise the hard work and step-by-step process of achieving success.
- "By slow degrees, by more and more" emphasizes the gradual nature of progress.
- "We have not wings, we cannot soar;"
- The repetition of the "w" sound in "we," "wings," and "we." "By slow degrees, by more and more,"
- The repetition of the "m" sound in "more" and "more."
- "Their solid bastions of the skies," The repetition of the "s" sound in "solid" and "skies."
Assonance:
- "We have not wings, we cannot soar;"
- The repetition of the "o" sound in "not," "cannot," and "soar." "By slow degrees, by more and more,"
- The repetition of the "o" sound in "slow" and "more."
- "The mighty pyramids of stone"
- The repetition of the "i" sound in "mighty" and "pyramids."
Let's rewind and rejoice:
1. Identify the line that indicates human strength ?
"We have not wings, we cannot soar."
This line acknowledges human limitations but also implies strength in our ability to climb steadily towards success.
2. What do the words ‘cloudy summits’ and 'pyramids' imply?
Cloudy summits: These imply goals or ambitions that are difficult to reach, filled with challenges, uncertainties, and a lack of clarity.
-Pyramids: These imply immense achievements that require consistent effort, hard work, and dedication over time. They represent enduring accomplishments.
3. When do the pyramids appear like gigantic flights of stairs?
The pyramids appear like gigantic flights of stairs when viewed up close. This perspective highlights the step-by-step effort and continuous hard work required to build such monumental structures.
4. What do we come across when we rise to higher levels?
As we rise to higher levels, we come across new challenges and obstacles. The path to success becomes clearer, and we gain a better understanding of the journey, including its complexities and the perseverance needed to continue.
5. What makes great men different from their companions?
Great men are different from their companions because they achieve success through persistent hard work, perseverance, and dedication, even during times of hardship. They do not rely on shortcuts or quick means to reach their goals.
6. Identify the images of success in the poem, and comment on how they convey the message of the poem.
Mountains: Represent distant, challenging goals that require perseverance and hard work.
Pyramids: Symbolize immense achievements built through consistent effort over time and represent enduring success.
Climbing steadily: Implies the gradual, continuous progress necessary for reaching ambitious goals.
These images convey that success is not achieved through sudden leaps but through continuous, dedicated effort and overcoming challenges.
7. ‘The heights by great men reached and kept / Were not attained by sudden flight….’ Comment on these lines. Collect a few proverbs that convey the same idea.
These lines emphasize that true success is achieved through gradual, steady effort and not by quick, easy means. Great men reach their heights through persistent hard work and perseverance.
Proverbs conveying the same idea:
- "Rome wasn't built in a day."
"Slow and steady wins the race."
"No pain, no gain."
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
"Great oaks from little acorns grow."
These proverbs reinforce the message that success requires time, effort, and perseverance.
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