Summary
Edna St. Vincent Millay’s poem “Renascence,” a narrative work of 214 metrical lines divided into nine varied stanzas, explores profound themes of consciousness, compassion, and rebirth. The title, suggestive of a spiritual renaissance, sets the tone for a journey that transcends the physical to touch on higher, possibly spiritual realms. The poem begins with the narrator's acute awareness of her surroundings, but this initial physical focus soon spirals into a visionary experience that challenges and expands her understanding of life and death.
Awakening to the Landscape
The poem opens with the narrator observing her immediate environment: mountains, trees, a bay, and islands. These elements, at first perceived as boundaries, trigger a profound existential crisis. The world begins to feel constricted, and even the sky seems within reach. This sensation of confinement leads the narrator to reach for the sky, initiating a transformative visionary episode.
A Paradoxical State of Omniscience
As the narrator enters this heightened state, she experiences a paradox: she becomes all-seeing and all-feeling, yet maintains her individual sense of self. This godlike perspective inundates her with a flood of human suffering, presenting a vision so intense that it overwhelms her human capacities. She is confronted with a symphony of human anguish, experiencing the deaths of thousands, each tragedy felt viscerally as her own: “A thousand screams the heavens smote;/ And every scream tore through my throat.”
Submersion and Release
Crushed by the weight of universal compassion, the narrator descends metaphorically into the earth. Here, in this state of spiritual cessation, she finds solace in the earth's embrace: “Deep in the earth I rested now;/ Cool is its hand upon the brow.” This restful state soon evokes a longing for life’s simple pleasures, such as rain and sunshine, prompting a fervent plea for rebirth. Her cries are answered by a deluge, which revives her and brings her back to the world of the living: “I breathed my soul back into me.”
Rebirth and New Perception
Upon returning to life, the narrator experiences a newfound joy and clarity. Her cry of reawakening echoes the profound transformation she has undergone: “Ah! Up then from the ground sprang I/ And hailed the earth with such a cry/ As is not heard save from a man/ Who has been dead, and lives again.” This rebirth grants her a deeper understanding of the divine presence in everyday life, as expressed in her newfound ability to perceive God in the natural world:
O God, I cried, no dark disguise
Can e’er hereafter hide from me
Thy radiant identity
I know the path that tells Thy way
Through the cool eve of every day;
God, I can push the grass apart
And lay my finger on Thy heart!
The Coda: A Warning and Affirmation
The poem concludes with a twelve-line coda, where the narrator reflects on her new insights. She relates the external world’s limits to the boundless potential of the inner self, declaring that the world’s dimensions mirror those of the heart and soul. Yet, she cautions against spiritual and emotional stagnation: “But East and West will pinch the heart/ That cannot keep them pushed apart;/ And he whose soul is flat—the sky/ Will cave in on him by and by.” This final thought serves as both a warning and a reminder of the transformative power inherent in embracing life’s spiritual journey.
Style and Technique
Renowned poet Edna St. Vincent Millay crafts a vivid and transcendent narrative in her work "Renascence". Through a combination of concrete language, intricate paradoxes, and flexible rhyme schemes, she explores the profound themes of omniscience, individuality, and...
(This entire section contains 494 words.)
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renewal. Drawing inspiration from both English and American literary traditions, Millay infuses her poetry with a lyrical quality reminiscent of John Keats, while also embracing the bold imagination and morbid undertones found in the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
Vivid Imagery and Paradoxes
Millay employs a straightforward yet evocative vocabulary to paint the extraordinary events in "Renascence". Utilizing sensory details, she illustrates the vision's onset through touch and hearing, as seen in lines such as "Infinity// Held up before my eyes a glass/ Through which my shrinking sight did pass". These sensory experiences are further intensified by the use of paradoxes that illustrate the visionary’s inner turmoil. Her omniscience conflicts with her sense of self, leading to a metaphorical death, described as a heavy weight that crushes her into the earth, only to be nurtured like a seed by the transforming forces of nature.
A Unique Blend of Tone and Imagery
Millay’s adept use of tone and phrasing breathes life into contrasting images and motifs throughout the poem. She juxtaposes the dusty confines of a grave with the nurturing embrace of a mother, setting the stage for her protagonist’s rebirth. The lyrical quality of her lines, echoing the melodic style of John Keats, is evident in passages that capture nature’s refreshing beauty, such as “To catch the freshened, fragrant breeze/ From drenched and dripping apple-trees.” Yet, her exploration of darker themes and her bold, poetic imagination align her with the works of Edgar Allan Poe. This delicate balance of lyricism and stark imagery imbues "Renascence" with an enduring freshness and vitality.
Rhyme and Metrical Flexibility
Millay’s mastery of form is evident in her use of rhymed couplets and iambic tetrameter. Each line typically contains four feet, with the stress falling on the second syllable, though she skillfully introduces variations to maintain a dynamic flow. For example, the poem opens with a trochee, "All I could see from where I stood," where the stress on the initial syllable immediately captivates the reader. Further metrical flexibility is showcased in the fourth couplet, where she trims a syllable, creating a brisker pace and drawing the reader swiftly into the narrative. This rhythmic manipulation enhances the poem's structure, imbuing repeated phrases with a sense of inevitability and momentum.
Influence and Legacy
Millay's approach in "Renascence" reflects an intermingling of her contemporaries' influence and her own distinct voice. While her work displays an affinity for the exotic and deeply sentimental themes akin to her peers, her blend of lyricism and candid expression sets her apart. Through her innovative use of language and structure, Millay crafts a poem that not only pays homage to Keats and Poe but also stands as a testament to her unique literary prowess.
