'The Curse' by Edna St. Vincent Millay
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Oh, lay my ashes on the wind
That blows across the sea.
And I shall meet a fisherman
Out of Capri,
And he will say, seeing me,
"What a Strange Thing!
Like a fish's scale or a
Butterfly's wing."
Oh, lay my ashes on the wind
That blows away the fog.
And I shall meet a farmer boy
Leaping through the bog,
And he will say, seeing me,
"What a Strange Thing!
Like a peat-ash or a
Butterfly's wing."
And I shall blow to YOUR house
And, sucked against the pane,
See you take your sewing up
And lay it down again.
And you will say, seeing me,
"What a strange thing!
Like a plum petal or a
Butterfly's wing."
And none at all will know me
That knew me well before.
But I will settle at the root
That climbs about your door,
And fishermen and farmers
May see me and forget,
But I'll be a bitter berry
In your brewing yet.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Curse by Edna St. Vincent Millay: A Haunting Tale of Love and Loss
I have always been a fan of poetry that captures the intensity of human emotions with vivid and powerful imagery. And among the many works of modernist poets that I have read, one poem that stands out for its haunting beauty is "The Curse" by Edna St. Vincent Millay.
First published in 1923, "The Curse" is a narrative poem that tells the story of a woman who is cursed by a witch to experience a lifetime of unrequited love. The poem is divided into three parts, each of which is marked by distinctive imagery and tone. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will explore the themes, symbols, and language of "The Curse" to uncover the deeper meanings and implications of Millay's work.
Part I: The Curse
The poem begins with a vivid and unsettling image of a witch who "stood in the road like a beacon, calling / And spitting curses on me." The witch's curse is both a punishment and a warning to the woman, who has betrayed her lover by loving another man. The curse is precise and specific, as the witch tells the woman that she will love the man who will never love her back.
The theme of punishment and retribution is central to this part of the poem, as the witch's curse is meant to make the woman suffer for her transgression. But there is also a sense of inevitability and fatalism in the curse, as if it is a natural consequence of the woman's actions. Millay uses vivid and visceral language to convey the intensity of the curse, as when the woman feels "a knife in my throat" and "the cold wind blowing."
What is striking about this part of the poem is the way Millay uses the imagery of nature to convey the sense of foreboding and doom. The witch is described as "squatting in the leaves and tossing / The bones of the killed chicken" while the woman hears "the wind / Moaning in the trees." These images create a sense of unease and tension, as if the natural world is conspiring against the woman and her fate is sealed.
Part II: The Encounter
In the second part of the poem, the woman encounters the man she loves, but he is oblivious to her feelings and only sees her as a friend. This part of the poem is marked by a shift in tone and mood, as the woman's love turns from passionate to melancholic.
Millay uses the symbol of the "ghostly swan" to convey the woman's sense of loss and longing. The swan represents the ideal of love and beauty that the woman can never attain, as it "floats forever in the blue depth / Of the sky, where none can follow." The use of the color blue is significant, as it conveys a sense of unattainability and distance.
Another symbol that Millay uses in this part of the poem is the "white moth," which represents the woman's fragile and vulnerable state. The moth is described as "beating its wings against the pane / Of my heart," which suggests that the woman's love is both trapped and fleeting. The use of the word "pane" is also significant, as it conveys a sense of separation and isolation.
Part III: The Resolution
The final part of the poem brings the themes of punishment and loss to a dramatic conclusion. The woman realizes that she can never escape the curse and decides to end her life by drowning herself in the river. But even in death, she is haunted by the memory of her love and the curse that has defined her life.
What is striking about this part of the poem is the way Millay uses the imagery of water to convey the woman's sense of liberation and despair. The river is described as "flashing like a dangled knife" and the woman's body is "washed by the water and swayed by the waves / That wash the boats and the feet of the swans." These images create a sense of both danger and release, as if the woman is finally free from the curse but also trapped in the cycle of love and loss.
The final lines of the poem are among the most haunting and powerful in modernist poetry: "My flesh was its own dead weight, / Water and weed were one; / I saw the blue eyes of the drowned woman / Gazing at me through my own." The use of the first person and the present tense creates a sense of immediacy and intimacy, as if the reader is experiencing the woman's death and rebirth.
Conclusion
"The Curse" is a powerful and haunting poem that explores the themes of love, loss, and punishment with vivid and visceral language. Millay's use of symbols and imagery creates a sense of foreboding and doom that is both unsettling and mesmerizing. The poem's narrative structure, divided into three parts, allows Millay to explore the different facets of the woman's journey and to create a powerful sense of catharsis at the end.
What is most impressive about the poem is the way Millay manages to capture the intensity and complexity of human emotions with such economy and precision. The poem is only 24 lines long, but it packs a punch that resonates long after the final line. "The Curse" is a masterpiece of modernist poetry that deserves to be read and studied for generations to come.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Curse by Edna St. Vincent Millay is a classic poem that has stood the test of time. It is a powerful and haunting piece that explores the themes of love, loss, and the pain of betrayal. The poem is written in a simple yet elegant style, with each line carefully crafted to convey the emotions of the speaker. In this analysis, we will explore the meaning and significance of The Curse and how it relates to the human experience.
The poem begins with the speaker addressing her lover, whom she refers to as "you." She tells him that she has placed a curse on him, and that he will never be able to forget her. The curse is described as a "spell" that will bind him to her forever. The speaker then goes on to describe the pain and suffering that she has endured because of his betrayal. She tells him that he has broken her heart, and that she will never be able to love again.
The first stanza of the poem sets the tone for the rest of the piece. The speaker's anger and bitterness are palpable, and the curse that she places on her lover is a clear indication of her desire for revenge. The use of the word "spell" is significant, as it suggests that the speaker has some kind of supernatural power over her lover. This adds to the sense of foreboding that permeates the poem.
In the second stanza, the speaker describes the pain that she has endured because of her lover's betrayal. She tells him that he has "broken" her heart, and that she will never be able to love again. This is a common theme in poetry, but Millay's use of language is particularly effective. The word "broken" is a powerful metaphor that conveys the speaker's sense of loss and despair. The repetition of the word "never" also adds to the sense of finality and hopelessness.
The third stanza is perhaps the most powerful in the poem. The speaker tells her lover that he will never be able to forget her, and that she will haunt him forever. She describes herself as a "ghost" that will follow him wherever he goes. This is a powerful image that conveys the speaker's desire for revenge. The use of the word "ghost" is significant, as it suggests that the speaker has become something otherworldly because of her lover's betrayal.
The final stanza of the poem is a reflection on the speaker's own feelings. She tells her lover that she will never be able to forget him, and that she will always love him. This is a surprising turn, given the anger and bitterness that has characterized the rest of the poem. It suggests that the speaker is not entirely in control of her emotions, and that she is still deeply affected by her lover's betrayal.
Overall, The Curse is a powerful and haunting poem that explores the themes of love, loss, and betrayal. The speaker's anger and bitterness are palpable, and the curse that she places on her lover is a clear indication of her desire for revenge. The use of language is particularly effective, with each line carefully crafted to convey the emotions of the speaker. The poem is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the human experience, and it remains a classic piece of literature to this day.
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