II

I THINK I should have loved you presently,
And given in earnest words I flung in jest;
And lifted honest eyes for you to see,
And caught your hand against my cheek and breast;
And all my pretty follies flung aside
That won you to me, and beneath your gaze,
Naked of reticence and shorn of pride,
Spread like a chart my little wicked ways.
I, that had been to you, had you remained,
But one more waking from a recurrent dream,
Cherish no less the certain stakes I gained,
And walk your memory’s halls, austere, supreme,
A ghost in marble of a girl you knew
Who would have loved you in a day or two.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem I Think I Should Have Loved You

1 Comment

  1. robin says:
    March 28, 2008 at 10:34 pm

    This is such a sincere sentiment, a love lost before it was recognized…amazing.

    Reply

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