Dirge Without Music - A poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Edna St. Vincent Millay - Dirge Without Music

I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground.
So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind:
Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned
With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned.

Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you.
Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust.
A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew,
A formula, a phrase remains,—but the best is lost.

The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the
 love,—
They are gone. They are gone to feed the roses. Elegant and curled
Is the blossom. Fragrant is the blossom. I know. But I do not
approve.
More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the
 world.

Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.

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Added: Feb 21 2003 | Viewed: 18458 times |

Comments (9)

Dirge Without Music - Comments and Information
Poet: Edna St. Vincent Millay Poem: Dirge Without Music Poem of the Day: Jan 6 2009 Comment 9 of 9, added on January 29th, 2011 at 8:02 AM. This is a wonderful, powerfully emotional poem. As a person who does not believe in imaginary skyfairies, I really appreciate how this poem expresses the raw emotion of feelings of loss, without making repeated references to "Gods Plan", or "She is in heaven now" or other simplistic platitutes. A few years ago when my loving grandmother died, I was asked to speak at the funeral, which was held at a Catholic church. I wish I had thought to include a reading of this poem back then. Michael from United States Comment 8 of 9, added on May 21st, 2009 at 2:46 PM. Wikipedia entries for Bob Dylan's recent album, Time Out of Mind, refer to Samuel Beckett and John Keats as influences on the album and the song Not Dark Yet. Dirge Without Music should be added not only because it's the source of the album title. Kathe from United States Comment 7 of 9, added on April 23rd, 2006 at 1:51 PM. As I age and have more personal loses, I return to read "Dirge without Music." The poem is hardly hopeful and certainly lacks comfort as I grieve, but it is brilliant in its connections with human feelings;and, somehow, its truth and lack of soothing bromides, encourages me to mourn for awhile, then move on. Alice Orshan from United States More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, Dirge Without Music, has received 9 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own.

Poem Info
Poet: Edna St. Vincent Millay Poem: Dirge Without Music Last read: 2013-06-19 09:08:32 Poem of the Day: Jan 6 2009 Viewed 18458 times. Added Feb 21 2003.

Millay Info
Biography More Poems (165 poems) Edna St. Vincent Millay books