'Rosemary' by Edna St. Vincent Millay
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For the sake of some things
That be now no more
I will strew rushes
On my chamber-floor,
I will plant bergamot
At my kitchen-door.
For the sake of dim things
That were once so plain
I will set a barrel
Out to catch the rain,
I will hang an iron pot
On an iron crane.
Many things be dead and gone
That were brave and gay;
For the sake of these things
I will learn to say,
"An it please you, gentle sirs,"
"Alack!" and "Well-a-day!"
Editor 1 Interpretation
Rosemary: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation
Rosemary, a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay, is a beautiful and emotional piece that captures the essence of love and loss. This classic poem, published in 1923, tells the story of a woman who is mourning the death of her lover. The poem is filled with vivid imagery and powerful emotions that leave a lasting impact on the reader.
Background
Edna St. Vincent Millay was an American poet and playwright who is known for her lyrical poetry and feminist activism. She was born in 1892 in Maine and grew up in a family of modest means. Despite financial difficulties, Millay was able to attend college at Vassar, where she began to develop her skills as a poet.
Millay's poetry is characterized by its lyrical and musical qualities, as well as its focus on love, loss, and the human experience. She was a trailblazer for feminist poets and her work often tackled issues of gender and sexuality.
Literary Analysis
Rosemary is a sonnet, which is a traditional form of poetry that consists of 14 lines and a specific rhyme scheme. The poem is divided into two quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a sestet (a six-line stanza). The rhyme scheme is ABBAABBA CDECDE, which is common in Italian sonnets.
The poem begins with the speaker mourning the loss of her lover. She describes the world as "a grey mist on the moors" and "the long white road a blur." This sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which is filled with feelings of sadness and despair.
The second quatrain introduces the symbol of rosemary, which represents remembrance. The speaker says that she has "brought rosemary, with a thought for the dead" and that she will "scatter it everywhere" as a way of honoring her beloved.
The sestet is where the poem takes a turn. The speaker begins to question whether her lover is truly gone. She says that she hears his voice in the wind and sees his face in the stars. This is a powerful moment in the poem because it shows that the speaker is not ready to let go of her lover.
The final lines of the poem are some of the most beautiful and poignant. The speaker says that she will "set foot on the air and follow the light" in order to be reunited with her lover. This is a powerful image that captures the speaker's desire to be with her beloved, even in death.
Interpretation
Rosemary is a poem that explores the power of love and the pain of loss. The speaker is clearly grieving the death of her lover and is struggling to come to terms with the fact that he is gone. The symbol of rosemary is a powerful one because it represents remembrance and is often associated with funerals and memorial services.
The poem is also about the power of memory. The speaker is holding onto the memory of her lover and is unwilling to let go. She hears his voice in the wind and sees his face in the stars, which shows that he is still very much a part of her life. This is a common theme in Millay's poetry, as she often explores the ways in which memory shapes our lives.
Finally, Rosemary is a poem about hope. The final lines of the poem suggest that the speaker is willing to do whatever it takes to be reunited with her lover. She is willing to "set foot on the air" and "follow the light" in order to be with him again. This is a powerful image that suggests that even in the face of death, there is always hope.
Conclusion
Rosemary is a beautiful and emotional poem that captures the essence of love and loss. The poem is filled with vivid imagery and powerful emotions that leave a lasting impact on the reader. It is a testament to the power of memory and the hope that we hold onto, even in the darkest moments of our lives. Edna St. Vincent Millay was a brilliant poet and Rosemary is one of her most enduring works.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Rosemary: A Poem of Love and Loss
Edna St. Vincent Millay’s poem “Rosemary” is a beautiful and poignant reflection on the nature of love and loss. Written in 1920, the poem explores the themes of memory, nostalgia, and the fleeting nature of life. Through the use of vivid imagery, powerful metaphors, and a hauntingly beautiful tone, Millay creates a work of art that speaks to the heart of human experience.
The poem begins with the speaker recalling a moment from her past, when she and her lover were walking through a garden. The speaker describes the scene in vivid detail, painting a picture of a beautiful, idyllic setting. She writes:
“We walked among the roses, And you held me by the hand; The world was full of summer, And the scent of rosemary.”
The imagery here is striking. The roses and the scent of rosemary evoke a sense of beauty and tranquility, while the hand-holding suggests intimacy and closeness. The world is full of summer, a time of warmth and light, and the speaker seems to be basking in the glow of this moment.
However, the tone of the poem quickly shifts. The speaker reveals that this moment is now just a memory, and that her lover is gone. She writes:
“But now the roses are faded, And the summer is gone; You are gone from me forever, And the scent of rosemary is all that is left.”
The contrast between the beauty of the past and the bleakness of the present is stark. The roses are faded, the summer is gone, and the speaker’s lover is gone forever. All that remains is the scent of rosemary, a bittersweet reminder of what once was.
The use of rosemary as a symbol is particularly powerful. Rosemary is a fragrant herb that is often associated with memory and remembrance. In ancient Greece and Rome, it was used in funeral rites to help the dead remember their past lives. In the Middle Ages, it was believed to improve memory and was used by students to help them remember their lessons. By using rosemary as a symbol, Millay is able to convey the idea that memories are both beautiful and painful, and that they can linger long after the people and places they are associated with have faded away.
The poem continues with the speaker reflecting on the nature of love and loss. She writes:
“Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain; Nor yet a floating spar to men that sink And rise and sink and rise and sink again; Love can not fill the thickened lung with breath, Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone; Yet many a man is making friends with death Even as I speak, for lack of love alone.”
Here, the speaker is acknowledging that love, while beautiful, is not enough to sustain us in the face of loss and hardship. Love cannot provide us with the basic necessities of life, such as food, shelter, and medical care. It cannot save us from death, or heal our physical wounds. And yet, the speaker suggests, many people are willing to risk everything for love, even if it means facing death.
The final stanza of the poem is perhaps the most haunting. The speaker writes:
“It well may be that in a difficult hour, Pinned down by pain and moaning for release, Or nagged by want past resolution’s power, I might be driven to sell your love for peace, Or trade the memory of this night for food. It well may be. I do not think I would.”
Here, the speaker is acknowledging that in times of great hardship, she may be tempted to give up her memories of love in exchange for material comfort. She may be willing to trade the memory of this beautiful moment for food, or to sell her lover’s love for peace. And yet, she concludes, she does not think she would. The memory of this moment is too precious, too beautiful, to be traded away for anything.
In conclusion, Edna St. Vincent Millay’s poem “Rosemary” is a powerful reflection on the nature of love and loss. Through the use of vivid imagery, powerful metaphors, and a hauntingly beautiful tone, Millay creates a work of art that speaks to the heart of human experience. The poem reminds us that memories are both beautiful and painful, and that they can linger long after the people and places they are associated with have faded away. It also acknowledges that love, while beautiful, is not enough to sustain us in the face of loss and hardship. And yet, despite all of this, the memory of love is too precious to be traded away for anything.
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