An Ancient Gesture

One of the literary devices used in the poem "An Ancient Gesture" is anaphora. This is the repetition of a word or a sequence of words at the beginning of successive sentences or clauses.

The speaker of the poem and Penelope, a figure from Greek mythology, have in common their patience and faithfulness to their husbands.

"An Ancient Gesture" by Edna St. Vincent Millay contains a metaphor, as the narrator compares herself to Penelope from Greek mythology. This metaphor highlights the parallels between their...

"An Ancient Gesture" uses the story of Penelope and Odysseus to convey a modern theme. The speaker says that she is crying like Penelope did in ancient times, but her tears are real, not a gesture....

Penelope employs the gesture of wiping tears with her apron due to exhaustion from her daily task of weaving and unweaving a shroud, a ruse to delay choosing a suitor while awaiting Odysseus's...

In "An Ancient Gesture," unanswered questions about the speaker include the specific cause of her grief and the circumstances surrounding her husband's absence. The speaker's identification with...

Penelope might advise the speaker of "An Ancient Gesture" to be patient and remain faithful. The poem evokes Penelope's enduring faithfulness during Ulysses' long absence, suggesting that the speaker...

The title "An Ancient Gesture" is effective because it succinctly sums up what the poem is about. The poem deals with something that women have been doing for thousands of years, expressing their...