'Prayer To Persephone' by Edna St. Vincent Millay

AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay

Be to her, Persephone,
All the things I might not be:
Take her head upon your knee.
She that was so proud and wild,
Flippant, arrogant and free,
She that had no need of me,
Is a little lonely child
Lost in Hell,-Persephone,
Take her head upon your knee:
Say to her, "My dear, my dear,
It is not so dreadful here."

Editor 1 Interpretation

Poetry, Prayer To Persephone by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Have you ever felt the loss of something so dear that it felt like a part of you died with it? Have you ever longed for something so much that you were willing to make a deal with the devil to get it? This is the theme that Edna St. Vincent Millay explores in her poem "Prayer To Persephone". In this 24-line sonnet, she takes us on a journey through the depths of her despair and the heights of her hope.

Analysis of the poem

The poem is a prayer to Persephone, the Greek goddess of the underworld who was kidnapped by Hades, the god of the dead, and became his queen. In the first quatrain, Millay sets the scene by invoking Persephone and addressing her as "Queen of the dead", "Maiden of flowers", and "Daughter of Zeus". She begs the goddess to hear her prayer and to come to her aid. She is in desperate need of help and only Persephone can provide the solution.

In the second quatrain, Millay describes her situation. She has lost something or someone dear to her, and she is in pain. She uses the metaphor of a flower that has been cut down in its prime to describe her own situation. The image of a flower being cut down is a powerful one, as it represents the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. The fact that the flower is cut down in its prime adds to the sense of injustice and loss.

In the sestet, Millay makes her plea to Persephone. She offers to make a deal with the goddess, to trade something of equal value for what she has lost. She is willing to sacrifice something in order to get back what she has lost. This is a common theme in mythology, where characters often make deals with the gods or with other supernatural beings in order to achieve their goals.

The final couplet is a powerful one. Millay pleads with Persephone to "give answer, [her] own best-loved, that [she] may know the truth". She is desperate for an answer, for any sign of hope, something to hold on to. The fact that she addresses Persephone as her "best-loved" suggests that she has a personal connection to the goddess, that she feels a sense of kinship with her. This adds another layer of meaning to the poem, suggesting that Millay sees herself as a kindred spirit to Persephone, someone who has also suffered loss and despair.

Interpretation of the poem

The poem can be interpreted in a number of ways. On one level, it can be seen as a straightforward prayer to Persephone, asking for her help in a time of need. On another level, it can be seen as a meditation on loss and grief, and the lengths we will go to in order to get back what we have lost.

The metaphor of the flower being cut down is a powerful one, and it can be read in a number of different ways. On one level, it can be seen as a metaphor for death, for the fragility of life and the inevitability of our own mortality. On another level, it can be seen as a metaphor for the loss of innocence, for the way in which our hopes and dreams can be cut down in their prime.

The fact that Millay offers to make a deal with Persephone is also significant. It suggests that she believes in the power of sacrifice, that she is willing to give up something in order to get back what she has lost. This can be seen as a commentary on the nature of desire, on the way in which we are willing to make deals with the devil in order to achieve our goals.

Finally, the fact that Millay addresses Persephone as her "best-loved" suggests that she sees herself as a kindred spirit to the goddess, someone who has also suffered loss and despair. This adds another layer of meaning to the poem, suggesting that Millay is not just asking for help, but is also seeking a sense of kinship and understanding.

Conclusion

In "Prayer To Persephone", Edna St. Vincent Millay offers a powerful meditation on loss and grief, and the lengths we will go to in order to get back what we have lost. The poem is a powerful invocation to Persephone, the Greek goddess of the underworld, and it can be interpreted in a number of different ways. Ultimately, however, it is a poem about hope, about the way in which we are willing to make sacrifices and offer prayers in order to achieve our goals. It is a poem that speaks to the human condition, to our longing for something more, and to our willingness to reach out to the divine in order to find it.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry Prayer To Persephone: A Deep Dive into Edna St. Vincent Millay's Masterpiece

Edna St. Vincent Millay, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, is known for her lyrical and passionate poetry that explores themes of love, loss, and the human condition. One of her most famous works, Poetry Prayer To Persephone, is a hauntingly beautiful poem that delves into the mythological figure of Persephone and her journey from the underworld to the world above. In this article, we will take a deep dive into this masterpiece and explore its themes, imagery, and symbolism.

The poem begins with an invocation to Persephone, the queen of the underworld, who is also known as the goddess of spring and rebirth. The speaker addresses Persephone as "Queen of the Dead" and "Queen of the Spring," acknowledging her dual nature as a goddess of both death and life. The use of the word "Queen" emphasizes Persephone's power and authority, while the contrasting images of death and spring set the tone for the poem's exploration of the cyclical nature of life and death.

The second stanza of the poem introduces the speaker's desire to write poetry that captures the essence of Persephone's journey. The speaker asks Persephone to "teach me how to make him see / The beauty of the dying tree." Here, the "him" referred to is likely a lover or a muse, and the dying tree represents the cyclical nature of life and death. The speaker is asking Persephone to help them convey the beauty of this cycle through their poetry.

In the third stanza, the speaker acknowledges the difficulty of capturing the essence of Persephone's journey in words. They say, "I cannot make him see / The bright emerging flower." The use of the word "bright" emphasizes the beauty and vitality of the emerging flower, but the speaker admits that they are struggling to convey this beauty to their audience.

The fourth stanza of the poem introduces the image of the pomegranate, which is a symbol of Persephone's journey from the underworld to the world above. The speaker says, "Teach me how to show to him / The changeless beauty of the dead." Here, the "him" referred to is likely the same as in the previous stanzas, and the "changeless beauty of the dead" refers to the idea that death is a natural part of the cycle of life and that there is beauty in this cycle.

The fifth stanza of the poem introduces the idea of sacrifice. The speaker says, "Teach me how to make him hear / The message of the singing bone." The "singing bone" refers to the mythological story of Persephone, in which she is abducted by Hades and forced to spend six months of the year in the underworld. During this time, the earth becomes barren and lifeless, but when Persephone returns to the world above, the earth becomes fertile and full of life once again. The sacrifice of spending half the year in the underworld is what allows Persephone to bring new life to the world above.

In the sixth stanza, the speaker acknowledges the power of Persephone's journey and the difficulty of capturing it in words. They say, "I cannot make him hear / The story of the bitter grain." The "bitter grain" refers to the pomegranate seeds that Persephone ate while in the underworld, which bound her to Hades and forced her to spend half the year in the underworld. The speaker is acknowledging the complexity and depth of Persephone's journey and the difficulty of conveying it through poetry.

The seventh and final stanza of the poem brings the themes of life and death full circle. The speaker says, "Teach me how to die, that I / May rise again as thou dost rise." Here, the speaker is asking Persephone to teach them how to embrace the cycle of life and death and to find beauty in both. The use of the word "rise" emphasizes the cyclical nature of life and death and the idea that death is not an end but a new beginning.

Throughout the poem, Millay uses vivid imagery and symbolism to explore the themes of life and death, rebirth, and sacrifice. The use of the mythological figure of Persephone adds depth and complexity to the poem, and the speaker's desire to capture the essence of her journey through poetry adds a personal and emotional element. The poem's final stanza brings the themes of the poem full circle and emphasizes the idea that death is not an end but a new beginning.

In conclusion, Poetry Prayer To Persephone is a hauntingly beautiful poem that explores the cyclical nature of life and death through the mythological figure of Persephone. Millay's use of vivid imagery and symbolism adds depth and complexity to the poem, and the speaker's personal desire to capture the essence of Persephone's journey through poetry adds an emotional element. The poem's final stanza brings the themes of the poem full circle and emphasizes the idea that death is not an end but a new beginning.

Editor Recommended Sites

Modern Command Line: Command line tutorials for modern new cli tools
Flutter Design: Flutter course on material design, flutter design best practice and design principles
Learn Terraform: Learn Terraform for AWS and GCP
SRE Engineer: Guide to SRE engineering
Graphdb Taxonomy: Graph Database Taxonomy and Ontology Management

Recommended Similar Analysis

Youth and Calm by Matthew Arnold analysis
The Apparition by John Donne analysis
Of all the souls that stand create by Emily Dickinson analysis
The Little Vagabond by William Blake analysis
Ode To A Nightingale by John Keats analysis
A Spider sewed at Night by Emily Dickinson analysis
Love And A Question by Robert Frost analysis
The Answer by Carl Sandburg analysis
Excelsior by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow analysis
The cricket sang by Emily Dickinson analysis