Success is counted by those who ne'er succeed?

Answer 1

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 to-day

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!

by Emily Dickinson

Answer 2

This line suggests that success is often measured by individuals who have never achieved it themselves, emphasizing how perceptions of success can be influenced by those on the outside looking in. It conveys the idea that one's own definition of success may differ from societal norms or expectations.