Making Good
No man can be a failure if he thinks he's a success;
he may not own his roof-tree overhead,
He may be on his uppers and have hocked his evening dress -
(Financially speaking - in the red)
He may have chronic shortage to repay the old home mortgage,
And almost be a bankrupt in his biz.,
But though he skips his dinner,
And each day he's growing thinner,
If he thinks he is a winner,
Then he is.
But when I say Success I mean the sublimated kind;
A man may gain it yet be on the dole.
To me it's music of the heart and sunshine of the mind,
Serenity and sweetness of the soul.
You may not have a brace of bucks to jingle in your jeans,
Far less the dough to buy a motor car;
But though the row you're hoeing
May be grim, ungodly going,
If you think the skies are glowing -
Then they are.
For a poor man may be wealthy and a millionaire may fail,
It all depends upon the point of view.
It's the sterling of your spirit tips the balance of the scale,
It's optimism, and it's up to you.
For what I figure as success is simple Happiness,
The consummate contentment of your mood:
You may toil with brain and sinew,
And though little wealth is win you,
If there's health and hope within you -
You've made good.
Literary Analysis
This literary analysis was generated with AI and may contain interpretive differences. Provide your analysis in the comments section.
Summary
Robert William Service presents success as something far larger than money, rank, or public proof. The poem begins with a playful, almost swaggering paradox: a man can be broke, embarrassed, and still count himself a success if he carries the right mental attitude. That opening joke sets the pattern for the rest of the poem, where financial ruin and physical hardship are acknowledged but steadily outweighed by self-belief.
As the poem develops, the idea of success is revised from a worldly achievement into an inward condition. Service insists that real "making good" is not measured by possessions but by serenity, contentment, and hope. The poem's central tension lies in the fact that it never denies material struggle; instead, it asks whether inner optimism can transform the meaning of that struggle. By the end, success is defined as happiness itself, making the poem both encouraging and a little defiant in the face of economic hardship.
Theme
- Optimism - The poem argues that attitude can reshape reality, suggesting that confidence and hope matter more than circumstances.
- Redefinition of success - Service rejects wealth as the true measure of achievement and replaces it with inner peace and contentment.
- Resilience in hardship - The poem acknowledges debt, hunger, and failure, yet presents endurance with spirit as a form of victory.
- Inner wealth - Emotional stability, health, and hope are treated as richer than money or possessions.
- Self-made worth - The poem suggests that a person's value is partly a matter of personal choice in how life is interpreted.
Literary Devices
- Paradox - The poem repeatedly links poverty with success, creating a striking contradiction that forces readers to rethink common assumptions.
- Colloquial diction - Everyday phrases and slang make the poem sound conversational and witty, reinforcing its direct, popular appeal.
- Repetition - The repeated idea that one can still be a winner or have glowing skies keeps the optimistic message memorable and rhythmic.
- Irony - The poem treats financial ruin with a light touch, exposing the mismatch between social definitions of success and personal satisfaction.
- Rhyme and rhythm - The lively rhyme scheme and jaunty beat give the poem a buoyant energy that supports its upbeat philosophy.
- Contrast - Hardship is set against happiness, debt against spiritual riches, and failure against contentment to sharpen the poem's central argument.
Symbolism
- Roof-tree - The image of a roof overhead symbolizes security and shelter, making its absence a sign of material struggle.
- Evening dress - This suggests social status and outward respectability, which the poem treats as less important than inner worth.
- Dinner - Skipping dinner points to physical deprivation and the harsh reality of poverty.
- Motor car - The motor car represents modern wealth and status, part of the material success the poem downplays.
- Sunshine of the mind - This image stands for mental brightness, hope, and the power of perspective.
- Health and hope - These function as symbols of a fuller prosperity that money cannot buy.
Tone
Service's tone is cheerful, mischievous, and encouraging, with a plainspoken confidence that keeps the poem from sounding preachy. The mood for the reader is buoyant but reflective: the verse feels light and humorous on the surface, yet it also invites a serious reconsideration of what success really means when life is lean and uncertain.
Historical Context
Robert William Service is often associated with popular, widely accessible verse shaped by strong rhythm, clear rhyme, and a direct speaking voice. His poetry belongs to a tradition that values energy, wit, and emotional immediacy rather than elaborate symbolism, and this poem reflects that style clearly.
The poem also fits a broader modern interest in self-help ideals and the psychology of perseverance, especially in a society marked by economic pressure and social comparison. Its emphasis on optimism, dignity, and inner satisfaction connects it to a cultural moment when personal attitude was increasingly treated as a response to material hardship.
Similar Poems
- If- - Rudyard Kipling
- Invictus - William Ernest Henley
- Success - Ralph Waldo Emerson
- A Psalm of Life - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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