Love is not all
Edna St Vincent Millay
About the poet:
Edna St Vincent Millay was born in Maine, USA in 1892. She is an American
poet and playwright, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1923 for her collection of
poems. She was raised by her mother to be ambitious and self-sufficient and
lived a rather unconventional life. She is popular for her strong views on
feminism, as well as her ability to combine modern, free-thinking attitudes
with traditional poetic forms.
Pre-reading task:
Make a list of all the things you think are essential for a happy life
Characteristics of this poem:
This poem is in the form of a sonnet, as it has 14 lines. This sonnet is
structurally typical of an Italian sonnet as it has an octave (8 lines) and a
sestet (6 lines). The most common rhyme scheme is abba abba.
poetry anthology page 166
Introduction:
This poem, like many sonnets, explores the theme of love. What makes this
poem different is the way in which it has been written: the poet uses plain and
simple language to make powerful *analogies and to create an *ambivalent tone
and *ambiguous ending.
poetry anthology page 166
Vocabulary:
- analogies: a similarity between two things, on which a comparison may be based
- ambivalent: mixed feelings or contradictory ideas
- ambiguous: open to more than one interpretation
Love is not all: It is not meat nor drink
a
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain,
b
Nor yet a floating *spar to men that sink
a
and rise and sink and rise and sink again.
b
Love cannot fill the thickened lung with breath
c
Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;
d
Yet many a man is making friends with death
c
Even as I speak, for lack of love alone.
d
It well may be that in a difficult hour,
e
pinned down by need and moaning for release
f
or nagged by want past *resolutions power,
e
I might be driven to sell your love for peace,
f
Or trade the memory of this night for food.
g
It may well be. I do not think I would.
g
Vocabulary:
- spar: a thick strong pole used as
a mast on a sailing ship
- resolution: a firm decision; an
answer or a solution to
something
Love is not all: It is not meat nor drink
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain,
Nor yet a floating spar to men that sink
Life-sustaining things that love
is not
and rise and sink and rise and sink again.
Love cannot fill the thickened lung with breath
Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;
Yet many a man is making friends with death
Personification
Contradiction: love cannot
make us live, yet many people
die because they do not have it
Even as I speak, for lack of love alone.
It well may be that in a difficult hour,
pinned down by need and moaning for release
or nagged by want past resolutions power,
I might be driven to sell your love for peace,
Or trade the memory of this night for food.
Identify the figures
of speech
It may well be. I do not think I would.
The value of love and that she
would not trade it
Love is not all: It is not meat nor drink
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain,
Love is being compared
to something that is
essential for survival –
something that a man
on a sinking ship would
need. If the ship was
sinking and the man
was drowning/sinking
love would be of no use
to him
Nor yet a floating *spar to men that sink
and rise and sink and rise and sink again.
Love is not food, drink, sleep or
shelter – these things are
important for survival and loves
importance is lessened here in
relation to the things that people
need for survival
Love cannot fill the thickened lung with breath
Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;
Yet many a man is making friends with death
Even as I speak, for lack of love alone.
It well may be that in a difficult hour,
A thick strong pole used
as a mast on a sailing
ship
pinned down by need and moaning for release
or nagged by want past resolutions power,
I might be driven to sell your love for peace,
Or trade the memory of this night for food.
It may well be. I do not think I would.
Structure on a boat
Love is not all: It is not meat nor drink
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain,
Nor yet a floating *spar to men that sink
and rise and sink and rise and sink again.
Love cannot fill the thickened lung with breath
Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;
Yet many a man is making friends with death
Love cannot stop death – thickened lung could
refer to drowning or some respiratory ailment
nor can it fix or mend a fractured bone.
Love is just an emotion that can’t do anything if
you are in some sort of life-threatening
situation
Even as I speak, for lack of love alone.
It well may be that in a difficult hour,
pinned down by need and moaning for release
or nagged by want past resolutions power,
I might be driven to sell your love for peace,
Or trade the memory of this night for food.
It may well be. I do not think I would.
Turning point/transition/change of
perspective
Even with all the truth of what love cannot
be, men still kill themselves because they
do not have it
Love is not all: It is not meat nor drink
or nagged by want past resolutions power,
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain,
Nor yet a floating *spar to men that sink
and rise and sink and rise and sink again.
Love cannot fill the thickened lung with breath
remembers her life before this love and the
decisions that she made which might be
more easily influenced by love
Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;
Yet many a man is making friends with death
Even as I speak, for lack of love alone.
It well may be that in a difficult hour,
pinned down by need and moaning for release
or nagged by want past resolutions power,
I might be driven to sell your love for peace,
Or trade the memory of this night for food.
It may well be. I do not think I would.
Difficult hour: links back to the
beginning – lack of food, water, shelter
Possible scenarios in which she might be
willing to give away her love for peace
Love is not all: It is not meat nor drink
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain,
Nor yet a floating *spar to men that sink
and rise and sink and rise and sink again.
Love cannot fill the thickened lung with breath
Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;
Yet many a man is making friends with death
Even as I speak, for lack of love alone.
It well may be that in a difficult hour,
pinned down by need and moaning for release
or nagged by want past resolutions power,
I might be driven to sell your love for peace,
Or trade the memory of this night for food.
It may well be. I do not think I would.
What is your interpretation of the
conclusion of the poem?
Post-reading task:
In no more than two paragraphs of 150 words (total), discuss what the poet
thinks about love and whether she could live without it. Also say what you
think the overall message of the poem is.
Remember to make use of:
P – point
E – evidence/example
E – explanation
L – link