In hindsight unjustly, er reputation began waning even before her untimely death. It has been argued that tales of Millay’s love life have eclipsed her reputation as a poet - and that this should be corrected, as she was a brilliant poet.

Some of Millay’s love poems hint at cynicism, others sorrow, while others still reflect a women in full charge of her sexuality and aware of her power over those whose hearts she won - or broke.

Following is a small sampling of love poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay wasn’t considered a confessional poet, her prolific love life was often reflected in her lines, sometimes obliquely, other times directly. They could also use the library to find older critical works (such as Horace Gregory and Marya Zaturenska’s A History of American Poetry 1900–1940).Have students present their findings, along with Millay poems representative of the period or book to the class.Though Edna St. Because her career was so long, you might assign students different periods, or think about specific publication moments in her career, including “Renascence” but also her more patriotic war work including the radio-play “The Murder of Lidice.” In a computer lab or at home, students might peruse back issues of Poetry to look for reviews of Millay’s work. Have students conduct a reception history of Millay’s work. But Millay herself was an incredibly popular poet, achieving a level of fame that’s difficult for us to understand now. “Renascence” was Millay’s first published poem and one of her most popular over her lifetime.You might have students tackle the third discussion question above in pairs or small groups and have them stage readings of “Renascence”-or parts of it-that play with theatricality and the musical qualities of language. What sounds strange or different, or exciting and interesting, to your students? How does Millay’s reading style counter or intersect with contemporary poetry reading styles, or your students’ assumptions about them? If you have time, you could assign other poets who experimented with performance from this period, including Vachel Lindsay, Carl Sandburg, and Edith Sitwell. (If you have access to a record player and can get Millay’s 1941 Caedmon recording that’s even better). There are a few recordings of Millay reading her work online select one and, if possible, listen to it as a class. Vincent Millay is a great poet to start a multi-lesson investigation into the history of poetry and performance.

Edna st vincent millay renascence