Edna St. Vincent Millay

What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why,

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, And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain For unremembered lads that not again Will turn to me at midnight with a cry. Thus in 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.

What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why

Born : February 22,1892 Rockland,MaineDied : October 19,1950, Austerlitz,New

YorkPen name : Nancy BoydOccupation : PoetNationality : American

Edna St. Vincent MillayEdna St. Vincent Millay

‘What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why, I have forgotten’ is the first line and a half of the poem.This quote clearly summarises the subject matter of the poem. Millay fondly remembers the delight of kissing many lovers. She loved the physical contact.She desired many young men and passed from one to the other forgetfully. The faces and personalities of the many lovers are forgotten. Millay does not remember them individually.

In the sestet, the last six lines, Millay feels she has grown too old. She can no longer experience the passionate love of her youth. Perhaps she can’t attract young male lovers any more. They have ‘come and gone’.

Painful Emotions last even though memories vanish:

‘in my heart there stirs a quiet pain for unremembered lads’.

Despair Millay feels despair at the way her life has changed like the seasons:

‘I only know that summer sang in me a little while that in me sings no more’

Love and happiness joys of happy love affairs in youth:

‘What lips my lips have kissed’ and ‘summer sang in me a little while’. Broken hearts and squandered [wasted] her chances for happiness:

‘ghosts to-night, that tap and sigh upon the glass and listen for reply’. Millay laments the way the joys of young love and summer are brief:

‘I only know that summer sang in me a little while that in me sings no more’. Regrets because wasted love

‘I have forgotten ‘ and ‘And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain for unremembered lads.’

Intimate love affairs:‘lips my lips have kissed’.

Alliteration Note the 3 ‘w’s and 2 ‘l’s in the following line:‘What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why’

Assonance Note the 6 ‘a’ sound repeated in the following line:‘I have forgotten, and what arms have lain’

Note the ‘o’ sound in the two final lines:‘I only know that summer sang in meA little while, that in me sings no more’

Personafication - And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain, -I only know that summer sang in me

Imagery - Thus in winter stands the lonely tree, -Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh

Symbolism - Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one, (symbolise the man) - Thus in the winter stands a lonely tree (symbolise herself )

Tones

Rhyming

A sonnet is a rhyming fourteen-line poem. There is a definite rhyming pattern: abbaabba cdedce

This sonnet can be divided into two different parts.The first part, of eight lines, is known as the octave.

The first full stop occurs after line eight.

The second part, of six lines, is known as the sestet. The second full stop occurs after line fourteen.

Each line has five beats.

The alliteration and assonance create music. Overall, the poem has a repeating musical rhythm.