I Reckon When I Count It All

I Reckon When I Count It All - meaning Summary

Poets Outrank the Sun

The speaker initially lists what matters most—poets, the sun, summer, and heaven—but then revises that judgment, finding poets to encompass or outshine the rest. Poets' influence is portrayed as lasting, generous, and capable of creating a splendid, yearlong season. Yet the speaker also admits doubt: the promise of an even grander heaven made for worshippers of poets feels almost too lavish to be believable. The poem balances admiration with skeptical distance.