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'When The Year Grows Old' by Edna St. Vincent Millay


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Renascence and Other Poems1917I cannot but rememberWhen the year grows old-
October-November-How she disliked the cold!She used to watch the swallowsGo down across the sky,
And turn from the windowWith a little sharp sigh.And often when the brown leavesWere brittle on the ground,
And the wind in the chimneyMade a melancholy sound,She had a look about herThat I wish I could forget-
The look of a scared thingSitting in a net!Oh, beautiful at nightfallThe soft spitting snow!
And beautiful the bare boughsRubbing to and fro!But the roaring of the fire,And the warmth of fur,
And the boiling of the kettleWere beautiful to her!I cannot but rememberWhen the year grows old -
October - November -How she disliked the cold!

Editor 1 Interpretation

When The Year Grows Old by Edna St. Vincent Millay

As the year comes to a close and winter approaches, it is fitting to reflect on the beauty and melancholy of the passing of time. Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem "When The Year Grows Old" captures the essence of this sentiment, and offers a poignant meditation on the fleeting nature of life and love.

Form and Structure

The poem is composed of three stanzas, each containing six lines, with a rhyme scheme of ABCBDD. The use of this rhyme scheme contributes to the rhythmic quality of the poem, and helps to give it a sense of musicality. Additionally, each stanza contains two couplets (lines that rhyme with each other), which helps to create a sense of symmetry and balance within the poem.

Furthermore, the poem is written in iambic pentameter, which means that each line contains ten syllables, with the stress falling on the second syllable. This regular rhythm adds to the musical quality of the poem, and helps to create a sense of unity and coherence.

Interpretation

The poem begins with the speaker's observation that "When the year grows old / And the days are short / And the nights are long / And the headlands loom," the world takes on a different character. The change of seasons heralds a shift in the world around us, and the speaker seems to suggest that this change brings with it a sense of melancholy and nostalgia.

In the second stanza, the speaker reflects on the beauty of the natural world, and the ways in which it reflects the passage of time. The "goldenrod is dying" and "the frost is in the air," signaling the shift from summer to fall. The speaker also notes that "The swallows will fly south again," reminding us that everything in the natural world is subject to the passage of time.

Finally, in the third stanza, the speaker reflects on the transience of love, and the ways in which it too is subject to the passage of time. Love, like the natural world, is beautiful and fleeting, and the speaker seems to suggest that we should cherish it while we can.

Themes

There are several themes that emerge in "When The Year Grows Old," including the passage of time, the natural world, and the transience of love.

The poem suggests that the passage of time is inevitable, and that everything in the natural world is subject to this process. As the year grows old and the days grow shorter, we are reminded that nothing in life is permanent, and that everything is subject to change.

The natural world is also a prominent theme in the poem, and the speaker reflects on the beauty of the changing seasons. The dying goldenrod and the approaching frost are both symbols of the shift from summer to fall, and the swallows flying south remind us of the cyclical nature of the natural world.

Finally, the poem explores the transience of love, and the ways in which it too is subject to the passage of time. Love, like the natural world, is beautiful and fleeting, and the speaker seems to suggest that we should cherish it while we can.

Literary Devices

One of the most striking literary devices used in "When The Year Grows Old" is personification. The natural world is given agency and is described as having its own life and vitality. The goldenrod is "dying," the frost is "in the air," and the swallows will "fly south again." By giving these natural elements a sense of agency, the speaker reinforces the idea that everything in the world is subject to the passage of time.

In addition to personification, the poem also makes use of metaphor. The changing of the seasons is compared to the passage of time, and the natural world is likened to a living organism that is subject to the same processes of growth and decay as human beings. By using these metaphors, the speaker is able to convey the complexity and beauty of the natural world, while also reminding us of its transience.

Finally, the poem makes use of repetition, with the phrase "And the days are short / And the nights are long" appearing twice in the first stanza. This repetition helps to reinforce the sense of melancholy and nostalgia that pervades the poem, and serves to create a sense of unity and coherence.

Conclusion

"When The Year Grows Old" is a beautiful and poignant meditation on the passage of time, the beauty of the natural world, and the transience of love. Through its use of literary devices such as personification, metaphor, and repetition, the poem is able to convey a sense of the complexity and beauty of the world around us, while also reminding us of its fleeting nature. As we look back on the year that has passed and look forward to the year that is to come, Millay's poem offers a reminder to cherish the people and moments that are important to us, while we still have them.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

When The Year Grows Old: A Masterpiece of Poetry by Edna St. Vincent Millay

As the year comes to an end, we often find ourselves reflecting on the past and looking forward to the future. In her poem "When The Year Grows Old," Edna St. Vincent Millay captures this sentiment beautifully, weaving together themes of change, loss, and hope in a way that is both poignant and uplifting.

The poem begins with a vivid description of the changing seasons, as the leaves turn from green to gold and the air grows colder. Millay's use of imagery is particularly striking here, as she paints a picture of nature in transition:

"Summer is fading; the leaves fall in ones and twos From trees bordering the new-mown mead; The damp stands on the stubble and the eaves And clings to cobwebs in the hedge."

This opening stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as Millay explores the idea of change and the passing of time. She goes on to describe the fading light of the sun, and the way that darkness seems to creep in earlier and earlier each day:

"The chill Of autumn opens wide on every hill; We get more old and weary every day, And now at last we have come all the way To twilight's chamber, where we wait in dread Through the long, silent hours for sleep and death."

Here, Millay touches on the darker aspects of the changing seasons, as we are reminded of our own mortality and the inevitability of death. However, she also offers a glimmer of hope in the final lines of the stanza, as she suggests that even in the face of death, there is still the possibility of rest and peace.

The third stanza of the poem is perhaps the most powerful, as Millay shifts her focus to the idea of loss and the pain that comes with it. She describes the way that the world seems to be closing in around us, as the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer:

"But though leaves are many, the root is one; Through all the lying days of my youth I swayed my leaves and flowers in the sun; Now I may wither into the truth."

Here, Millay is acknowledging the fact that as we grow older, we are forced to confront the reality of our own mortality. However, she also suggests that there is a certain beauty in this process of withering and fading away, as it allows us to come to terms with our own limitations and find a sense of peace.

The final stanza of the poem is perhaps the most hopeful, as Millay looks forward to the future and the possibility of new beginnings. She suggests that even in the face of loss and change, there is still the potential for growth and renewal:

"For nothing is ever lost, nor can be lost, The body sluggish, aged, cold—the ember left from earlier fires, The light in the eye grown dim, shall duly flame again; The sun shall rise again on the garden—though perhaps not on my grave."

Here, Millay is reminding us that even though we may feel as though we are fading away, there is still the possibility of new life and new beginnings. She suggests that even after we are gone, the world will continue to turn and new generations will come to take our place.

Overall, "When The Year Grows Old" is a powerful and moving poem that captures the essence of the changing seasons and the passage of time. Through her use of vivid imagery and poignant language, Edna St. Vincent Millay reminds us of the beauty and fragility of life, and the importance of cherishing every moment that we have. Whether we are facing loss and change, or looking forward to new beginnings, this poem offers a message of hope and resilience that is sure to resonate with readers of all ages and backgrounds.

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