Say Not the Struggle Naught Availeth by Arthur Hugh Clough

Say Not the Struggle Naught Availeth by Arthur Hugh Clough,

Title: Say Not the Struggle Naught Availeth
Poet: Arthur Hugh Clough (1819–1861)
Type: Lyric poem / Inspirational poem
Form: Four quatrains (four-line stanzas)
Rhyme Scheme: ABAB
Tone: Encouraging, hopeful, and resolute

🧭 Summary (in Simple Words)

Arthur Hugh Clough’s poem encourages perseverance even when results are not visible. He urges readers not to think that their struggle or hard work is useless (“naught availeth”). Though progress may seem slow or invisible, success is silently taking shape — just like the sun rising behind clouds or the tide advancing unnoticed.

Clough tells us that efforts are never wasted — victory may come quietly, and hope must not die even when the situation appears dark. The poem is an anthem of faith, endurance, and optimism.

🌅 Stanza-wise Summary

Stanza 1

Say not the struggle naught availeth, / The labour and the wounds are vain...

The poet tells readers not to believe that their efforts or sacrifices are in vain. Even if immediate success is unseen, their hard work still has meaning and effect.

Stanza 2

The enemy faint not, nor falter, / The toil is long, the end unknown...

Here, Clough admits that life’s struggles seem endless and enemies (or problems) seem powerful. Yet, one must not lose heart — perseverance matters more than visible victory.

Stanza 3

They may not see the dawning / Beyond the hill’s crest...

The poet compares hope to the sun rising behind a hill. Even when you cannot see it, the light is growing. Similarly, unseen progress is happening even when you feel defeated.

Stanza 4

And not by eastern windows only, / When daylight comes, comes in the light...

This stanza gives a beautiful image of the tide advancing and sunlight filling the sky. Change and victory come quietly, gradually, but inevitably. Thus, we must keep faith.

🌟 Themes

Perseverance and Hope: Keep working even when success seems far away.
Faith in Effort: Every action contributes to future success.
Optimism: Darkness and defeat are temporary.
Nature and Human Struggle: The poem uses natural images to reflect moral and spiritual truths.

✍️ Important Imagery and Symbols

Image	Meaning
Struggle and battle	Life’s difficulties and human effort
Dawning sun	Hope and renewal
Tide coming in	Gradual success, unseen progress
Eastern windows	New beginnings and enlightenment

💬 Poetic Devices

Device	Example	Effect
Alliteration	“Say not the struggle naught availeth”	Creates rhythm and emphasis
Metaphor	“The struggle” = life’s challenges	Expresses moral struggle
Symbolism	“Sunrise”, “tide”	Symbolize hope and change
Imagery	“Behind the hill the sun is shining”	Creates vivid visual picture
Repetition	“Say not”	Strengthens message of faith

🧠 Critical Appreciation

Clough’s poem reflects Victorian faith in moral perseverance. Written during a time of social and political uncertainty, it gives courage to those who feel defeated. Its measured rhythm and uplifting tone make it one of the most quoted inspirational poems in English literature.

The poet suggests that real change often begins invisibly — in nature, as in human effort. Hope, patience, and courage are the true marks of victory.

🏛️ Characters and Setting

Speaker: The poet (as a moral teacher and encourager)
Audience: Any person facing hardship or discouragement
Setting: Symbolic – drawn from battlefield, sunrise, and sea tide imagery

📝 Paraphrase

Stanza 1

Paraphrase:
Do not think that your efforts and struggles are useless, or that all your hard work and pain have no result. Even though it seems that your opponents (or difficulties) are still strong and nothing has changed, your effort still matters. You may not see the progress, but it exists.

Stanza 2

Paraphrase:
If your earlier hopes have proved false, remember that your fears might also be untrue. Maybe, behind the thick smoke of battle, your fellow soldiers are already defeating the enemy and taking control of the battlefield — and your own effort has helped make that possible, even if you cannot see it.

Paraphrase:
When you watch the sea waves breaking again and again on the shore, it looks as though they are making no progress. But far away, the main tide is quietly moving forward through small channels and inlets. Similarly, even if your personal struggle seems fruitless, real progress is happening somewhere unseen.

Stanza 4

Paraphrase:
The light of dawn doesn’t enter only from the east — when the sun rises, it spreads light everywhere. Even if the sun seems to rise slowly, when you look toward the west, you can already see the brightness spreading across the land. Likewise, success may come gradually, but its results will soon be visible all around you.

Text

Say not the struggle naught availeth,
The labour and the wounds are vain,
The enemy faints not, nor faileth,
And as things have been they remain.

If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars;
It may be, in yon smoke conceal’d,
Your comrades chase e’en now the fliers,
And, but for you, possess the field.

For while the tired waves, vainly breaking,
Seem here no painful inch to gain,
Far back, through creeks and inlets making,
Comes silent, flooding in, the main.

And not by eastern windows only,
When daylight comes, comes in the light;
In front, the sun climbs slow, how slowly,
But westward, look, the land is bright.

🧩 Meanings of words

Word / Phrase	Meaning (in simple English)
Say not	Do not say / Do not think
Struggle	Hard effort or fight (against difficulties or enemies)
Naught	Nothing
Availeth	Helps / Is useful / Has any effect
Labour	Hard work / Toil
Wounds	Injuries (physical or emotional pain)
Vain	Useless / Without result
Enemy	Opponent / Adversary / Those we fight against
Faint not	Do not lose strength or courage
Falter	Hesitate / Lose confidence or determination
As things have been they remain	Nothing seems to change / Everything looks the same
Hopes were dupes	Hopes deceived us or made us believe falsely
Fears may be liars	Fears can also deceive or mislead us
Yon	That / Over there (old poetic word for "that")
Smoke conceal’d	Hidden by smoke (covered by smoke, so you cannot see clearly)
Comrades	Companions / Fellow soldiers or friends in struggle
Chase	Pursue / Run after
E’en now	Even now / At this very moment
Fliers	Those who flee or run away (the defeated enemies)
Possess the field	Win the battle / Gain victory
Tired waves	Weary or repeatedly crashing waves (symbol of effort)
Vainly breaking	Breaking without visible success or result
Painful inch to gain	Difficult to make even a small amount of progress
Creeks and inlets	Narrow passages or small openings of the sea reaching inland
Main	The main sea or ocean (large body of water)
Flooding in	Coming in slowly and steadily
Eastern windows	Windows facing the east (where the sun rises)
Daylight comes	Morning arrives / The sun rises
Climbs slow	Rises slowly (referring to the sun)
Westward	Towards the west
The land is bright	The sunlight is spreading over the land / The world is illuminated

Questions

A. Short Answer Questions

1. Who is the poet of “Say Not the Struggle Naught Availeth”?
Answer: The poem “Say Not the Struggle Naught Availeth” is written by Arthur Hugh Clough.

2. What is the central idea of the poem?
Answer: The poem conveys that no struggle or effort is ever wasted. Even when success seems far away, progress is silently taking place, and victory will come eventually through perseverance and faith.

3. What does the poet mean by “Say not the struggle naught availeth”?
Answer: The poet means we should not think that our efforts and struggles are useless. Every effort, however small, helps bring success closer.

4. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Answer: The poem follows a regular ABAB rhyme scheme in all four stanzas.

5. What does the “enemy” represent in the poem?
Answer: The “enemy” represents life’s difficulties, failures, or obstacles that test human courage and strength.

6. What is symbolized by the “tide” in the third stanza?
Answer: The tide symbolizes steady and unseen progress. Though the waves appear to make no progress, the sea (main) keeps advancing silently — just as human effort slowly leads to success.

7. What does the rising sun symbolize in the poem?
Answer: The rising sun symbolizes hope, renewal, and the coming of success after a period of darkness and despair.

8. What is the tone of the poem?
Answer: The tone is inspirational, hopeful, and encouraging. It urges readers to maintain faith and continue striving.

9. How does the poet use nature to reflect human struggle?
Answer: The poet compares human struggle to waves that seem to fail but actually move forward and the sunrise that slowly brightens the world, showing that perseverance always brings progress.

10. What moral lesson does the poem teach?
Answer: The poem teaches us to never give up, to keep working with faith and courage, and to believe that every sincere effort has value.

B. Long Answer Questions

1. Explain how Arthur Hugh Clough inspires hope and perseverance through the poem.
Answer:
Clough’s poem is a message of encouragement and hope. He tells readers not to lose faith even when their struggles seem fruitless. Just as waves keep breaking on the shore and the sun rises slowly but surely, human effort too leads to progress, even if it’s not immediately visible. The poet’s comparison of human struggle with nature teaches that success is gradual but certain. Thus, the poem inspires readers to continue striving with faith and patience.

2. Describe the imagery and symbolism used in the poem.
Answer:
Clough uses vivid natural imagery to express moral truths:

· Battle imagery symbolizes human struggle.

· Sea waves and tides represent perseverance and unseen progress.

· Sunrise and daylight symbolize hope and renewal.
These symbols show that even when success seems far away, progress continues quietly. The imagery of nature reinforces the poem’s message that effort is never wasted and light always follows darkness.

3. What is the message of the poem “Say Not the Struggle Naught Availeth”?
Answer:
The message is one of faith, hope, and perseverance. The poet urges readers not to give up or think that their work is useless. Even if results are invisible, progress is happening beneath the surface. Like the advancing tide or the rising sun, success unfolds slowly but surely. The poet reminds us that patience and courage always lead to victory.

4. How does Clough use contrast between hope and despair in the poem?
Answer:
Clough contrasts hope and despair to show the power of optimism. While despair sees no change (“as things have been they remain”), hope believes that progress is happening unseen (“comes silent, flooding in, the main”). The poet admits that the battle looks hopeless, but he insists that reality is brighter than it appears. This contrast teaches us to replace doubt with faith.

5. Discuss the relevance of the poem’s message in modern life.
Answer:
The poem’s message is timeless. In modern life, people often feel discouraged when success is delayed. Clough’s words remind us that every effort counts, and that patience, faith, and determination are keys to achievement. Whether in studies, career, or personal goals, the poem motivates us to keep striving despite challenges, because unseen progress is always taking place.

C. Reference to Context (RTC) Questions

1. Lines:

Say not the struggle naught availeth,
The labour and the wounds are vain...

Question: What is the poet advising in these lines?
Answer: The poet advises readers not to think their efforts and pain are wasted. Every struggle has meaning and contributes to ultimate success, even if the outcome is not immediately visible.

2. Lines:

For while the tired waves, vainly breaking,
Seem here no painful inch to gain...

Question: What do the “tired waves” symbolize?
Answer: The “tired waves” symbolize the human spirit that struggles constantly. Though the waves seem to fail, they are actually part of the great tide advancing silently — symbolizing that all effort contributes to unseen progress.

3. Lines:

In front, the sun climbs slow, how slowly,
But westward, look, the land is bright.

Question: What picture do these lines present?
Answer: These lines describe the rising sun spreading its light over the land. It’s a metaphor for hope and success — though progress may seem slow, its results soon brighten the world.

D. Vocabulary or Concept-based Questions

1. Explain the meaning of “If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars.”
Answer: It means if our hopes have deceived us, our fears might also deceive us. We should not lose heart because what we fear may not actually be true — good outcomes may still happen.

2. What do the “eastern windows” stand for?
Answer: “Eastern windows” stand for new beginnings and the arrival of light — a symbol of hope, opportunity, and enlightenment.

3. What quality of the poet’s mind is revealed in the poem?
Answer: The poem reveals Clough’s optimistic, patient, and courageous outlook. He believes in perseverance and faith even in difficult times.

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