Many authors use their works as an emotional outlet. An emotional outlet is a way for a person to express their emotions through art or a hobby, usually something healthy and non-destructive to themselves or others. Often times, people express their emotions by yelling or even physical violence, but some have mastered the use of an action or even meditation instead. Emotional outlets, such as poetry or literature, provide a platform for an author to voice their opinions on topics relevant to themselves or the world around them. The voice is not always found through words but can be seen within artwork or performances. Emily Dickinson, though there is no way to tell exactly, used her poetry as an emotional outlet without going outside of her
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In the poem, Dickinson explores the idea that people do not truly appreciate something until they are denied it “Success is counted sweetest / by those who ne’er succeed”(1-2). She suggests that once success is reached, it is never fully appreciated and people who consistently succeed do not see it as anything special in comparison to those who have faced many failures. Also, she states that only the loser of the battle “Can tell the definition / So clear of Victory” (7-8) because a win with casualties is not a win. In these lines, she is posing the question: what exactly is one winning when he loses so much? The question can be answered with a the statement she makes in the poem: there is never a winner of a war, both sides lose lives, supplies, time, etc., things they can never get back. Dickinson could be writing about her opinion of the Civil War, as it was America fighting against itself, so who really won? In the final stanza, a soldier is described, listening to “The distant strains of triumph / Burst agonized and clear!”(11-12), it is unclear whether the soldier is on the winning or losing side, but the word “strains” has a negative connotation adding to the idea that there is no winner in war. Dickinson sees triumph as an abstract idea, as the definition is so unclear when there are casualties
In the poem, Dickinson explores the idea that people do not truly appreciate something until they are denied it “Success is counted sweetest / by those who ne’er succeed”(1-2). She suggests that once success is reached, it is never fully appreciated and people who consistently succeed do not see it as anything special in comparison to those who have faced many failures. Also, she states that only the loser of the battle “Can tell the definition / So clear of Victory” (7-8) because a win with casualties is not a win. In these lines, she is posing the question: what exactly is one winning when he loses so much? The question can be answered with a the statement she makes in the poem: there is never a winner of a war, both sides lose lives, supplies, time, etc., things they can never get back. Dickinson could be writing about her opinion of the Civil War, as it was America fighting against itself, so who really won? In the final stanza, a soldier is described, listening to “The distant strains of triumph / Burst agonized and clear!”(11-12), it is unclear whether the soldier is on the winning or losing side, but the word “strains” has a negative connotation adding to the idea that there is no winner in war. Dickinson sees triumph as an abstract idea, as the definition is so unclear when there are casualties