'Renascence' by Edna St. Vincent Millay
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All I could see from where I stood
Was three long mountains and a wood;
I turned and looked another way,
And saw three islands in a bay.
So with my eyes I traced the line
Of the horizon, thin and fine,
Straight around till I was come
Back to where I'd started from;
And all I saw from where I stood
Was three long mountains and a wood.
Over these things I could not see;
These were the things that bounded me;
And I could touch them with my hand,
Almost, I thought, from where I stand.
And all at once things seemed so small
My breath came short, and scarce at all.
But, sure, the sky is big, I said;
Miles and miles above my head;
So here upon my back I'll lie
And look my fill into the sky.
And so I looked, and, after all,
The sky was not so very tall.
The sky, I said, must somewhere stop,
And—sure enough!—I see the top!
The sky, I thought, is not so grand;
I 'most could touch it with my hand!
And reaching up my hand to try,
I screamed to feel it touch the sky.
I screamed, and—lo!—Infinity
Came down and settled over me;
Forced back my scream into my chest,
Bent back my arm upon my breast,
And, pressing of the Undefined
The definition on my mind,
Held up before my eyes a glass
Through which my shrinking sight did pass
Until it seemed I must behold
Immensity made manifold;
Whispered to me a word whose sound
Deafened the air for worlds around,
And brought unmuffled to my ears
The gossiping of friendly spheres,
The creaking of the tented sky,
The ticking of Eternity.
I saw and heard, and knew at last
The How and Why of all things, past,
And present, and forevermore.
The Universe, cleft to the core,
Lay open to my probing sense
That, sick'ning, I would fain pluck thence
But could not,—nay! But needs must suck
At the great wound, and could not pluck
My lips away till I had drawn
All venom out.—Ah, fearful pawn!
For my omniscience paid I toll
In infinite remorse of soul.
All sin was of my sinning, all
Atoning mine, and mine the gall
Of all regret. Mine was the weight
Of every brooded wrong, the hate
That stood behind each envious thrust,
Mine every greed, mine every lust.
And all the while for every grief,
Each suffering, I craved relief
With individual desire,—
Craved all in vain! And felt fierce fire
About a thousand people crawl;
Perished with each,—then mourned for all!
A man was starving in Capri;
He moved his eyes and looked at me;
I felt his gaze, I heard his moan,
And knew his hunger as my own.
I saw at sea a great fog bank
Between two ships that struck and sank;
A thousand screams the heavens smote;
And every scream tore through my throat.
No hurt I did not feel, no death
That was not mine; mine each last breath
That, crying, met an answering cry
From the compassion that was I.
All suffering mine, and mine its rod;
Mine, pity like the pity of God.
Ah, awful weight! Infinity
Pressed down upon the finite Me!
My anguished spirit, like a bird,
Beating against my lips I heard;
Yet lay the weight so close about
There was no room for it without.
And so beneath the weight lay I
And suffered death, but could not die.
Long had I lain thus, craving death,
When quietly the earth beneath
Gave way, and inch by inch, so great
At last had grown the crushing weight,
Into the earth I sank till I
Full six feet under ground did lie,
And sank no more,—there is no weight
Can follow here, however great.
From off my breast I felt it roll,
And as it went my tortured soul
Burst forth and fled in such a gust
That all about me swirled the dust.
Deep in the earth I rested now;
Cool is its hand upon the brow
And soft its breast beneath the head
Of one who is so gladly dead.
And all at once, and over all
The pitying rain began to fall;
I lay and heard each pattering hoof
Upon my lowly, thatched roof,
And seemed to love the sound far more
Than ever I had done before.
For rain it hath a friendly sound
To one who's six feet underground;
And scarce the friendly voice or face:
A grave is such a quiet place.
The rain, I said, is kind to come
And speak to me in my new home.
I would I were alive again
To kiss the fingers of the rain,
To drink into my eyes the shine
Of every slanting silver line,
To catch the freshened, fragrant breeze
From drenched and dripping apple-trees.
For soon the shower will be done,
And then the broad face of the sun
Will laugh above the rain-soaked earth
Until the world with answering mirth
Shakes joyously, and each round drop
Rolls, twinkling, from its grass-blade top.
How can I bear it; buried here,
While overhead the sky grows clear
And blue again after the storm?
O, multi-colored, multiform,
Beloved beauty over me,
That I shall never, never see
Again! Spring-silver, autumn-gold,
That I shall never more behold!
Sleeping your myriad magics through,
Close-sepulchred away from you!
O God, I cried, give me new birth,
And put me back upon the earth!
Upset each cloud's gigantic gourd
And let the heavy rain, down-poured
In one big torrent, set me free,
Washing my grave away from me!
I ceased; and through the breathless hush
That answered me, the far-off rush
Of herald wings came whispering
Like music down the vibrant string
Of my ascending prayer, and—crash!
Before the wild wind's whistling lash
The startled storm-clouds reared on high
And plunged in terror down the sky,
And the big rain in one black wave
Fell from the sky and struck my grave.
I know not how such things can be;
I only know there came to me
A fragrance such as never clings
To aught save happy living things;
A sound as of some joyous elf
Singing sweet songs to please himself,
And, through and over everything,
A sense of glad awakening.
The grass, a-tiptoe at my ear,
Whispering to me I could hear;
I felt the rain's cool finger-tips
Brushed tenderly across my lips,
Laid gently on my sealed sight,
And all at once the heavy night
Fell from my eyes and I could see,—
A drenched and dripping apple-tree,
A last long line of silver rain,
A sky grown clear and blue again.
And as I looked a quickening gust
Of wind blew up to me and thrust
Into my face a miracle
Of orchard-breath, and with the smell,—
I know not how such things can be!—
I breathed my soul back into me.
Ah! Up then from the ground sprang I
And hailed the earth with such a cry
As is not heard save from a man
Who has been dead, and lives again.
About the trees my arms I wound;
Like one gone mad I hugged the ground;
I raised my quivering arms on high;
I laughed and laughed into the sky,
Till at my throat a strangling sob
Caught fiercely, and a great heart-throb
Sent instant tears into my eyes;
O God, I cried, no dark disguise
Can e'er hereafter hide from me
Thy radiant identity!
Thou canst not move across the grass
But my quick eyes will see Thee pass,
Nor speak, however silently,
But my hushed voice will answer Thee.
I know the path that tells Thy way
Through the cool eve of every day;
God, I can push the grass apart
And lay my finger on Thy heart!
The world stands out on either side
No wider than the heart is wide;
Above the world is stretched the sky,—
No higher than the soul is high.
The heart can push the sea and land
Farther away on either hand;
The soul can split the sky in two,
And let the face of God shine through.
But East and West will pinch the heart
That can not keep them pushed apart;
And he whose soul is flat—the sky
Will cave in on him by and by.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Renascence by Edna St. Vincent Millay: An Intriguing Analysis
Have you ever read a poem that left you awestruck, with the feeling that the author was speaking directly to you? That's precisely what Edna St. Vincent Millay's "Renascence" does. This poem is an intense exploration of the psyche, and it's a masterpiece in its own right. It's a poem that dives deep into the human soul and brings to light what lies within. It's a poem that makes you feel something.
Background
Before diving into the poem, let's take a brief look at the author. Edna St. Vincent Millay was an American poet and playwright who lived from 1892 to 1950. She was known for her unconventional lifestyle and her poetry, which was deeply personal and emotional. Millay's work often explored themes of love, death, and nature.
"Renascence" was written when Millay was just nineteen years old, and it was published in 1917. The poem was inspired by a trip Millay took to the top of Mount Battie in Maine, where she had a profound spiritual experience.
Poem Analysis
The poem begins with the speaker describing herself as being "dead" and buried deep beneath the earth. She describes the darkness that surrounds her and the weight of the earth above her. It's a powerful metaphor for the depths of despair and hopelessness that one can experience in life.
But then, something changes. The speaker begins to feel a stirring within her, a sense of something greater than herself. She feels the earth moving beneath her, and she rises up out of her grave. This is the moment of "renascence," the rebirth that gives the poem its title.
The speaker's ascent is described in vivid detail. She rises through the layers of the earth, feeling the sun on her face for the first time in what seems like an eternity. She describes the beauty of the world around her, from the mountains to the sea. It's a celebration of life and the natural world, and it's a moment of pure joy and awe.
As the speaker continues to ascend, she begins to have a series of revelations. She realizes that she is part of something greater than herself, and that there is a divine force at work in the world. She sees the interconnectedness of all things, and she feels a sense of peace and wonder that she has never experienced before.
But just as the speaker is reaching the pinnacle of her ascent, something happens. She suddenly realizes that the world is not as perfect as she once thought it was. She sees the darkness and evil that exist in the world, and she feels the weight of it all pressing down on her once again.
The final lines of the poem are some of the most powerful. The speaker begs for someone to lift her up, to help her escape the darkness once and for all. But there is no one there to help her, and she is left alone, crying out into the void.
Interpretation
"Renascence" is a complex and multi-layered poem that can be interpreted in a variety of ways. At its core, the poem is about the human experience, and the struggle to find meaning and purpose in a world that can be both beautiful and cruel.
The poem can be seen as a journey of self-discovery, as the speaker explores the depths of her own soul and emerges transformed. It's a powerful metaphor for the process of growth and change, and the idea that we must sometimes descend into darkness in order to find the light.
The poem can also be interpreted as a meditation on the nature of the divine. The speaker's revelations about the interconnectedness of all things and the presence of a divine force suggest a deep spirituality that runs throughout the poem.
Perhaps most of all, "Renascence" is a celebration of life and the natural world. The speaker's descriptions of the mountains, sea, and sky are filled with wonder and awe, and they remind us of the beauty that is all around us.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "Renascence" is a poem that resonates deeply with anyone who has ever felt lost, alone, or in need of renewal. It's a poem that speaks to the human condition and offers a glimpse of hope in the darkness.
Edna St. Vincent Millay was a master of language and emotion, and "Renascence" is just one example of her incredible talent. This poem is a gift to the world, and it's a reminder that even in our darkest moments, there is always the possibility of rebirth and renewal.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Renascence: A Poem of Spiritual Awakening
Edna St. Vincent Millay's Renascence is a powerful and evocative poem that explores themes of spiritual awakening, self-discovery, and the search for meaning in life. Written in 1912, the poem is a classic example of Millay's unique style and poetic voice, which combines vivid imagery, emotional intensity, and a deep sense of introspection.
At its core, Renascence is a poem about a young woman's journey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening. The poem begins with the speaker describing her experience of being trapped in a dark, suffocating space, which she later realizes is a metaphor for her own limited perspective on life. As she begins to explore her surroundings, she becomes increasingly aware of the beauty and wonder of the natural world around her, and begins to see herself and her place in the world in a new light.
One of the most striking aspects of Renascence is its use of vivid and evocative imagery to convey the speaker's emotional and spiritual journey. Millay's descriptions of the natural world are particularly powerful, as she uses rich, sensory language to create a vivid and immersive experience for the reader. For example, in the opening lines of the poem, the speaker describes the darkness around her as "a blackness, black as death," and later compares the feeling of being trapped to "a worm in the heart of a bud."
As the poem progresses, the speaker's descriptions become increasingly vivid and detailed, as she begins to explore the natural world around her. She describes the "blue and gold" of the sky, the "green and silver" of the trees, and the "purple and gold" of the mountains, creating a rich tapestry of sensory experience that draws the reader into the speaker's world.
Another key element of Renascence is its exploration of the themes of self-discovery and spiritual awakening. Throughout the poem, the speaker grapples with questions of identity, purpose, and meaning, as she tries to make sense of her place in the world. At first, she sees herself as small and insignificant, like "a grain of sand" in the vastness of the universe. But as she begins to explore her surroundings, she begins to see herself in a new light, as a part of something larger and more meaningful.
One of the most powerful moments in the poem comes when the speaker reaches the summit of the mountain and experiences a moment of transcendent clarity. In this moment, she sees herself as a part of the natural world, connected to everything around her in a deep and profound way. She describes this experience as a "renascence," a rebirth or awakening of the spirit, and it is this moment that gives the poem its title.
Overall, Renascence is a powerful and evocative poem that explores themes of self-discovery, spiritual awakening, and the search for meaning in life. Through its vivid imagery, emotional intensity, and deep sense of introspection, it speaks to the universal human experience of grappling with questions of identity, purpose, and meaning. As such, it remains a timeless and enduring work of poetry, one that continues to resonate with readers today.
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