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Failure
Amos Russel Wells
About Amos Russel Wells
Amos Russel Wells was an American editor, writer and academic. he was a prolific writer, having written 63 books. His works deal with fiction, poetry and devotional literature.
Failure is a rocky hill:
Climb it! Climb! Climb it with a will!
Failure is a broken bone:
Set it! Grin, and do not groan!
Failure is a tangled string:
Puzzle out the knotted thing!
Failure is a river swift:
Swim it! Swim, and do not drift!
Failure is a black morass:
Cross it! There are tufts of grass!
Failure is a treacherous pit:
Scramble! Clamber out of it!
Failure is an inky night:
Sing! Expect the morning light!
Failure is an ugly coal:
Fuse it to a diamond soul!
Available Answers
- 1.
Interpret the metaphors of failure and how to overcome them, as shown in the table.
metaphor interpretation approach a. rocky hill struggle determination b. tangled string c. treacherous pit d. inky night despair optimism, positive outlook - 2.
Does the poet view failure as something negative? Support your answer with one example.
- 3.
Observe the second line of each stanza. The poet has used an imperative, a command (climb it, set it) for the reader to follow.
- How does it affect the mood of the poem?
- how does it influence our opinion of the poet?
- 4.
Is it always possible to transform failure into success or avoid failure completely in real life.
- 5.
Failure is a tangled string−can the phrase 'tangled string' be applied to situations besides failure?
- 6.
Sing! Expect the morning light!−Why do you think the poet has asked the reader to 'sing' in an 'inky night'? What does singing mean here?
4 more answer(s) available.