“god’s world”
by edna st. vincent millay
o world, i cannot hold thee close enough!
thy winds, thy wide grey skies!
thy mists, that roll and rise!
thy woods, this autumn day, that ache and sag
and all but cry with colour! that gaunt crag
to crush! to lift the lean of that black bluff!
world, world, i cannot get thee close enough!
long have i known a glory in it all,
but never knew i this:
here such a passion is
as stretcheth me apart,—lord, i do fear
thou’st made the world too beautiful this year;
my soul is all but out of me,—let fall
no burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call.
source: millay, edna st. vincent. “god’s world.” renascence and other poems. new york: harper & brothers, 1917. poetry foundation. web. 6 may 2011.
“spring”
by edna st. vincent millay
to what purpose, april, do you return again?
beauty is not enough.
you can no longer quiet me with the redness
of little leaves opening stickily.
i know what i know.
the sun is hot on my neck as i observe
the spikes of the crocus.
the smell of the earth is good.
it is apparent that there is no death
but what does that signify?
not only underground are the brains of men
eaten by maggots.
life in itself
is nothing,
an empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.
it is not enough that yearly, down this hill,
april
comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.
source: millay, edna st. vincent. “spring.” second april. new york: j. j. little and ives company, 1921. poetry foundation. web. 05 may 2011.
which statement best reflects millay’s attitude toward the seasons?
millay loves all seasons in nature but is happiest in the autumn when leaves fall and the birds are flying away.
millay finds beauty in the autumn world but resents the rebirth of spring because she sees death and sorrow everywhere.
millay is a pessimist who dislikes beauty anywhere she sees it because it implies that all is right with the world.
millay is a religious poet who sees the divine in nature and reflected in the rebirth of plants in the spring.