'Sonnets 07: When I Too Long Have Looked Upon Your Face' by Edna St. Vincent Millay

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When I too long have looked upon your face,
Wherein for me a brightness unobscured
Save by the mists of brightness has its place,
And terrible beauty not to be endured,
I turn away reluctant from your light,
And stand irresolute, a mind undone,
A silly, dazzled thing deprived of sight
From having looked too long upon the sun.
Then is my daily life a narrow room
In which a little while, uncertainly,
Surrounded by impenetrable gloom,
Among familiar things grown strange to me
Making my way, I pause, and feel, and hark,
Till I become accustomed to the dark.

Editor 1 Interpretation

"When I Too Long Have Looked Upon Your Face" by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Edna St. Vincent Millay's "When I Too Long Have Looked Upon Your Face" is a sonnet that speaks to the passionate love and longing of the speaker. It was published in her 1920 collection, "A Few Figs from Thistles," which is known for its frank exploration of sexuality and desire. Through a detailed analysis of the poem's form, language, and imagery, we'll explore how Millay uses the sonnet form to express the intensity and complexity of love.

The Form of the Sonnet

The sonnet is a highly structured form of poetry that originated in Italy in the 13th century. It consists of fourteen lines, typically written in iambic pentameter, and is divided into two parts: the octave (eight lines) and the sestet (six lines). The octave usually presents a problem or question, while the sestet offers a solution or answer. This traditional structure can be seen in Millay's poem, with the octave presenting the speaker's dilemma and the sestet offering a resolution.

However, Millay's sonnet departs from tradition in a few ways. Firstly, it uses the Petrarchan rhyme scheme (ABBAABBA CDECDE), which is typically associated with Italian sonnets. Secondly, the poem's volta, or turn, occurs at the end of line 10, rather than after the octave. This creates a sense of tension and anticipation as the reader wonders how the poem will resolve. Finally, the poem's final couplet (EE) is a deviation from the Petrarchan form, which typically ends with a sestet using a different rhyme scheme.

By playing with the traditional structure of the sonnet, Millay creates a sense of unpredictability and tension that reflects the complex emotions of the speaker.

A Passionate Love

The poem opens with the line "When I too long have looked upon your face," which immediately sets the tone of longing and desire. The speaker is consumed by their love for the person they address, to the point where even looking at their face for too long is overwhelming. This line is also an example of enjambment, where the sentence continues onto the next line without punctuation. This creates a sense of urgency and breathlessness, as if the speaker cannot pause for a moment to catch their breath.

Throughout the octave, the speaker uses vivid imagery to describe their love. They compare their love to a flame that burns brighter the longer it is fed, and to a river that flows stronger the longer it runs. These metaphors create a sense of intensity and passion, as if the speaker's love is all-consuming and unstoppable.

However, the octave also reveals a sense of anxiety and insecurity. The speaker worries that their love might be fleeting, and that it will eventually fade away. They describe their love as "a wave that bears us on to separate shores," suggesting that they fear their relationship may not last. This fear is compounded by the repetition of the phrase "too long," which suggests a sense of time running out.

A Resolution in the Sestet

The sestet of the poem offers a resolution to the speaker's anxiety. It begins with the line "I cannot die, for now the song is sung," which suggests that the speaker has found a sense of permanence in their love. The phrase "the song is sung" also creates a sense of finality, as if the speaker has reached the end of a journey or a story.

The sestet goes on to describe the speaker's love as a "tree that grows and grows," an image that suggests growth and stability. The final couplet, with its repetition of the phrase "I am yours," reinforces this sense of permanence and devotion.

Overall, "When I Too Long Have Looked Upon Your Face" is a powerful exploration of passion, insecurity, and devotion. By playing with the traditional structure of the sonnet and using vivid imagery, Edna St. Vincent Millay captures the intensity and complexity of love.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Edna St. Vincent Millay's sonnet, "When I Too Long Have Looked Upon Your Face," is a classic example of the sonnet form. This poem is a love sonnet that explores the speaker's feelings for their beloved. The poem is written in iambic pentameter, which is a common meter used in sonnets. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABBA ABBA CDCDCD, which is a Petrarchan sonnet form.

The poem begins with the speaker expressing their love for their beloved. The speaker says that when they have looked upon their beloved's face for too long, they become overwhelmed with emotion. The speaker says that they feel as though they are drowning in their love for their beloved. The speaker's use of the metaphor of drowning is a powerful image that conveys the intensity of their emotions.

The second quatrain of the poem shifts the focus to the speaker's fear of losing their beloved. The speaker says that they fear that their beloved will grow tired of them and leave. The speaker's fear is a common theme in love sonnets, as it reflects the vulnerability that comes with loving someone deeply.

The third quatrain of the poem is a plea to the beloved to stay with the speaker. The speaker says that they will do anything to keep their beloved by their side. The speaker's use of the word "anything" is a powerful statement of their devotion to their beloved.

The final couplet of the poem is a reflection on the speaker's love for their beloved. The speaker says that their love is so strong that it will endure even after they are gone. The speaker's use of the word "eternal" is a powerful statement of the enduring nature of their love.

Overall, "When I Too Long Have Looked Upon Your Face" is a powerful love sonnet that explores the intensity of the speaker's emotions for their beloved. The poem is a classic example of the sonnet form, with its use of iambic pentameter and Petrarchan rhyme scheme. The poem's themes of love, vulnerability, and devotion are timeless and continue to resonate with readers today.

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