Emily Dickinson

Rouge gagne

Summary

The poem explores themes of joy, uncertainty, and the nature of success and failure. It articulates the speaker's exhilaration in taking risks, despite the potential for poverty if they do not succeed. The narrative conveys a philosophical view that life and death, bliss and breath, are inherent states with inherent value regardless of their outcomes. The speaker finds a sense of sweetness in understanding the consequences of failure, suggesting that defeat is simply defeat and not something worse. The poem concludes with the contemplation of achieving success, comparing the overwhelming joy and surprise of unexpected victory to the tolling of bells and the firing of a cannon, hinting at the unpredictability and transformative nature of such moments.

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‘Tis so much joy! ‘Tis so much joy!
If I should fail, what poverty!
And yet, as poor as I
Have ventured upon a throw;
Have gained! Yes! Hesitated so
This side the victory!

Life is but life, and death but death!
Bliss is but bliss and breath but breath!
And if, indeed, I fail,
At least to know the worst is sweet.
Defeat means nothing but defeat,
No drearier can prevail!

And if I gain,—oh, gun at sea,
Oh, bells that in the steeples be,
At first repeat it slow!
For heaven is a different thing
Conjectured, and waked sudden in,
And might o’erwhelm me so!

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