Comment 1 of 1, added on May 24th, 2007 at 10:23 PM.

In “The Philosopher” Edna Vincent Millay speculates about a man, and her
intuitions regarding her bivalence and ambivalence desires for a man. This
evidently results in insomnia and grief.
“I know a man that’s a braver man“, this line might mean that there is one
man better and braver than the one she‘s debating about. With this line
she might mean her father or a particular lover.
“And twenty men as kind” The opportunity of knowing many others like him
or his kind are bountiful. What distinguishes a man from another? If
they’re all the same, why bother with this one in particular? I would
ponder the same dilemma. In fact, I do.
“And what are you, that you should be”. Why is he so special and more or
above all others? What sets him apart from the others. What can she
contemplate about this man that would entice and spark interest amongst the
rest from those that she has loved and cherished and shared.
“The one man in my mind”. It’s a wonderment as to why she can not get this
person away from her thoughts. Why can’t she get this one out of her head
or focus? Her occupation of this man obviously disturbs her, and is
intrigued by the uninhibited feelings that she can’t get enough of him.

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