Emerson on Success

We are forever doing snippets of poetry in my LA class. I have this belief that students should be exposed to lots of poetry because that's the only way they can find poems they really love. I also have this theory that poetry, like art and music, is entirely in the mind of the beholder, and that just because I like a poem does not mean you will. I tell the kids that probably 80% of the poetry they hear will not mean anything to them. Another 5% or 15% will be actively distasteful, and then a small, small portion will really strike a chord. It's a lot of work to find meaningful ones, but once you do, they sort of stick with you forever. Here is, in my opinion, a "good" one.

What Is Success?

By: Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is success?

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty;

To find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived;

This is to have succeeded.