Emily Dickinson

Best Gains Must Have the Losses’ Test

poem 684

Best Gains Must Have the Losses’ Test - meaning Summary

Gains Require Losses' Test

This very brief aphoristic poem asserts that any true gain must be measured against what was lost to obtain it. It presents value as contingent: achievement, possession, or insight only count as gains when they have endured or been earned through sacrifice or trial. The lines compress a moral observation about trade-offs and maturation, inviting readers to consider cost, endurance, and the relational nature of value rather than celebrating gains as inherently positive.

Read Complete Analyses

Best Gains must have the Losses’ Test To constitute them Gains

default user
PoetryVerse just now

Feel free to be first to leave comment.

8/2200 - 0