Edna St. Vincent Millay is a highly respected, and controversial, poet of the 20th century.  She broke new ground for female writers with her outspoken attitudes.  She revealed values and feelings that had previously been unspeakable.  Read the following poem aloud and imagine how Millay herself may have read the poem.

 

 

What lips my lips have Kissed

 

Rhyme

Line

1.
What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why

A

run-on

2.

I have forgotten, and what arms have lain

B

run-on

3.

Under my head till morning; but the rain

B

run-on

4.

Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh

A

run-on

5.

Upon the glass and listen for reply,

A

end stop

6.

And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain

B

run-on

7.

For unremembered lads that not again

B

run-on

8.

Will turn to me at midnight with a cry

A

end stop

9.

Thus in the winter stands the lonely tree,

C

end stop

10.

Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one,

D

end-stop

11.

Yet knows its boughs more silent than before:

E

end stop

12.

I cannot say what loves have come and gone,

D

end stop

13.

I only know that summer sang in me

C

run-on

14.

A little while that in me sings no more.

E

end stop

 

Is a Sonnet a Sonnet?

 

The structure of a sonnet is fourteen lines with a planned rhyme pattern and a regular rhythmic pulse with five beats per line.  In the 1500s, sonnets were concerned with ideal love from the male perspective.  Since then, themes in sonnets have taken on much greater variety.  How closely does Millay follow tradition in terms of structure and theme? 

 

Rhyme

 

The rhyme pattern within a sonnet varies from poet to poet and from century to century.  Observe the rhyme pattern ABBA, ABBA, CDE, DCE as indicated in the third column.  The rhyme pattern gives unity to the poem, but has enough variety to keep interesting.  Notice the tension created when your ear focuses on the final end rhyme, but your mind wants to move on to the completion of each thought. 

 

Metre

 

The metre of a poem refers to the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.  Millay applies the standard English pattern of iambic metre.   This simply means a pattern of unstressed syllables followed by stressed syllables.  The first line of the poem gives a perfect example.  Observe how the words in capital letters are stressed:  What LIPS my LIPS have KISSED and WHERE and WHY. 

 

Under closer observation, not every line follows this strict pattern of metre.  If the whole poem used perfect metre, it would sound too mechanical.  Iambic metre is the dominant pattern in the poem, although she varies the pattern.  Mark the stressed syllables to determine how closely she follows the pattern and when she breaks free from it.

 

Line Breaks

 

Notice the pattern of “run-on” and “end-stop” in the fourth column.  What is the purpose of this technique?  Is it to maintain the rhyme pattern?  To create suspense?  Does it make the poem more spontaneous?

 

Millay uses a mixture of techniques in her poem to keep it flowing.  Observe how the ideas in lines 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14 are made complete at the end of the lines.  Conversely, the thoughts in lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 13 overflow to the next lines.  This creates poetic suspense.  On one hand, the line ends with a rhyme, but on the other hand, the meaning continues to the next line.  This keeps the reader’s attention without becoming predictable.

 

The use of run-on allows her to maintain the rhyme pattern as described earlier.  In one sense, she follows a traditional pattern, but challenges that tradition by using personal, inventive style to challenge the tradition.

 

Images and Meaning

 

The first eight lines (the octave) of the poem reveal forgotten love relationships compared to ghosts.  Would the poem feel complete with emphasis on literal explanation? 

 

The last six lines (the sestet) of the poem focus on imagery.  She introduces a tree in winter, with neither birds nor leaves upon it.  She longs for the music and joy of summer.  As you create this scene in your mind, the literal meaning of the poem is deeply experienced, rather than just explained.  Would it seem complete if she only presented the imagery of lines 9 to 14?  Your answer will help you determine what you most appreciate in poetry.

 

Research

 

To further enjoy the poem and understand the social context, it is helpful to do some research.  Look up the life and times of Millay and learn about her.  See if you can prove whether or not this poem is autobiographical.   By learning more about the era during which she wrote, you can better understand the social and cultural tone between the two world wars.  Begin by writing down several questions that you would like answered.

 

  1. Where was she from?
  2. Was she married?
  3. What did society think of her at that time?
  4. Were her ideas traditional?
  5. Who…?
  6. Why…?
  7. When…?
  8. How…?
  9. What…?

 After completing your research, read the poem again and see if your interpretation changes in any way.