|
Poet: Edna St. Vincent Millay
Poem: Ashes Of Life
Volume: Renascence and Other Poems
Year: Published/Written in 1917
Comment 1 of 1, added on May 15th, 2005 at 11:46 PM.
When first glanced at, the title “Ashes of Life” may possibly cause speculation of many thoughts. One could conclude that the poem was about the pains of life, ruins of life, or life after a major crisis (such as a fire). The poem could be paraphrased into one simple statement. After the writer’s love has gone away, she feels nothing for life and sees no point in it. This poem has end rhyme that goes in the pattern ABABCDCDEFEF. It also has personification. It makes love out to be someone. It also uses a simile when it says, “And life goes on forever like the gnawing of a mouse.” The attitude of this poem is lifelessness and dreariness. The shift occurs during the second stanza starting at “But all the things...” After reading the poem, the title means much more. Now it can show that “Ashes of Life” mean the pain after love is gone or the result of something devastating. The theme of this poem is that without love we are empty.
Karen Ballance from United States
Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, Ashes Of Life, has received one comment so far. Click here to read it, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay with others on the American Poems poetry forum!
|
Comments
When first glanced at, the title “Ashes of Life” may possibly cause speculation of many thoughts. One could conclude that the poem was about the pains of life, ruins of life, or life after a major crisis (such as a fire). The poem could be paraphrased into one simple statement. After the writer’s love has gone away, she feels nothing for life and sees no point in it. This poem has end rhyme that goes in the pattern ABABCDCDEFEF. It also has personification. It makes love out to be someone. It also uses a simile when it says, “And life goes on forever like the gnawing of a mouse.” The attitude of this poem is lifelessness and dreariness. The shift occurs during the second stanza starting at “But all the things...” After reading the poem, the title means much more. Now it can show that “Ashes of Life” mean the pain after love is gone or the result of something devastating. The theme of this poem is that without love we are empty.
Karen Ballance from United States