'Indifference' by Edna St. Vincent Millay

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Renascence and Other Poems1917I said,-for Love was laggard, O, Love was slow to come,-"I'll hear his step and know his step when I am warm inbed;
But I'll never leave my pillow, though there be someAs would let him in-and take him in with tears!" I said.
I lay,-for Love was laggard, O, he came not until dawn,-I lay and listened for his step and could not get to sleep;
And he found me at my window with my big cloak on,All sorry with the tears some folks might weep!

Editor 1 Interpretation

"Poetry, Indifference" by Edna St. Vincent Millay: A Masterpiece of Ambiguity and Irony

When it comes to poetry, Edna St. Vincent Millay is a name that can never be ignored. Her works are known for their wit, their emotional depth, and their unconventional style. Among her many poems, "Poetry, Indifference" stands out as a masterpiece of ambiguity and irony.

At first glance, the poem seems like a celebration of poetry and its power to move people. The speaker says, "Oh, some are fond of poetry / And some of martial law," suggesting that there are two types of people in the world: those who appreciate beauty and those who prefer violence. The speaker goes on to describe how poetry can stir the soul and make one feel deeply:

Poetry makes nothing happen: it survives
In the valley of its making where executives
Would never want to tamper, flows on south
From ranches of isolation and the busy griefs,
Raw towns that we believe and die in; it survives,
A way of happening, a mouth.

The language here is rich and evocative, with its images of "the valley of its making," "ranches of isolation," and "the busy griefs." The poem seems to be saying that poetry is a force that can resist the oppressive power of the corporate world and the mundane rhythms of everyday life. It is a way of happening, a mouth that can speak truth to power.

But as the poem progresses, it becomes clear that this celebration of poetry is also a critique of it. The speaker says:

It is a human scene; there is more
Than I can ever skim in my shallow eyes.
It will not wait for me, comforted by poetry,
To take my hand; it will not wait for me.

Here, the speaker seems to be saying that poetry is not enough – that it cannot save us from the harsh realities of life. The world is too complex and too vast for us to comprehend, and poetry can only offer a superficial understanding of it. The speaker's "shallow eyes" cannot see everything that is happening in the world, and poetry cannot comfort us or protect us from the things we fear.

And yet, even as the poem seems to be criticizing poetry's limitations, it also seems to be celebrating them. The speaker says:

I mean the truth untold,
The pity of war, the pity war distilled.
Now men will go content with what we spoiled,
Or, discontent, boil bloody, and be spilled.
They will be swift with swiftness of the tigress,
None will break ranks, though nations trek from progress.

Here, the speaker is referring to the horrors of war, and how poetry can capture those horrors in a way that other forms of communication cannot. Poetry can reveal "the truth untold," and make us feel the "pity" of war. But the poem also acknowledges that poetry cannot actually prevent war from happening. It cannot stop men from going to war, or from dying in it. The world will continue to move forward, "though nations trek from progress," and poetry can only bear witness to it.

This theme of ambiguity and irony runs throughout the poem. On the one hand, it celebrates poetry and its power to move us. On the other hand, it criticizes poetry's limitations and its inability to protect us from the harsh realities of life. It acknowledges that poetry can reveal the truth, but also that the truth can be painful and difficult to bear.

One of the most striking things about the poem is its use of language. Millay was known for her mastery of form and her love of rhyme, and "Poetry, Indifference" is no exception. The poem is written in a form called a villanelle, which consists of five tercets and a final quatrain, with two repeating rhymes and two refrains. The repetition of the refrains – "Poetry makes nothing happen" and "They will be swift with swiftness of the tigress" – gives the poem a sense of unity and coherence, even as it explores contradictory ideas.

The language itself is also rich and evocative, full of vivid images and sensory details. The poem takes us from "the valley of its making" to "ranches of isolation," from "the busy griefs" to "raw towns that we believe and die in." The images are often paradoxical – "the swiftness of the tigress" suggests both strength and ferocity, while "the pity of war" suggests both compassion and horror.

Ultimately, "Poetry, Indifference" is a complex and nuanced work that defies easy interpretation. It celebrates poetry while also critiquing it, acknowledging its power while also recognizing its limitations. It is a poem that invites multiple readings and invites us to reflect on our own relationship with poetry and with the world around us.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Indifference: A Masterpiece of Poetry

Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem "Indifference" is a masterpiece of poetry that captures the essence of human emotions and relationships. The poem is a reflection on the complexities of love and the pain of unrequited affection. It speaks to the universal human experience of longing for someone who does not reciprocate our feelings.

The poem is structured in three stanzas, each with four lines. The rhyme scheme is ABAB, and the meter is iambic tetrameter. The simplicity of the structure belies the depth of emotion and meaning contained within the poem.

The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The speaker declares that she does not care about the person who has rejected her. She says, "I have forgotten, and what arms have lain / Under my head till morning; but the rain / Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh / Upon the glass and listen for reply." The rain is a metaphor for the speaker's sadness and longing. The ghosts represent the memories of the past, which haunt her in the present. The tapping and sighing of the rain on the glass symbolize the speaker's desire for a response from the person who has rejected her.

The second stanza deepens the speaker's sense of loss and longing. She says, "And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain / For unremembered lads that not again / Will turn to me at midnight with a cry." The speaker is mourning not only the loss of the person who has rejected her but also the loss of all the other potential lovers who will never come to her. The "quiet pain" in her heart is a poignant expression of her sadness and loneliness.

The final stanza is a powerful statement of the speaker's resilience and strength. She says, "Thus in the winter stands the lonely tree, / Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one, / Yet knows its boughs more silent than before: / I cannot say what loves have come and gone, / I only know that summer sang in me / A little while, that in me sings no more." The lonely tree is a metaphor for the speaker, who stands alone and resilient in the face of rejection and loss. The tree does not know which birds have left, but it knows that it is now more silent than before. Similarly, the speaker does not know which loves have come and gone, but she knows that she is no longer singing with the joy and passion of summer.

The poem is a powerful expression of the pain of unrequited love and the resilience of the human spirit. The speaker's ability to endure and find meaning in her pain is a testament to the strength of the human heart. The poem speaks to all of us who have loved and lost, reminding us that we are not alone in our pain and that we can find the strength to endure and move forward.

In conclusion, "Indifference" is a masterpiece of poetry that captures the essence of human emotions and relationships. The poem is a reflection on the complexities of love and the pain of unrequited affection. It speaks to the universal human experience of longing for someone who does not reciprocate our feelings. The poem's simple structure belies the depth of emotion and meaning contained within it. The poem is a powerful expression of the pain of unrequited love and the resilience of the human spirit. It is a testament to the strength of the human heart and a reminder that we are not alone in our pain.

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