Heart, have no Pity

Name: Heart, have no Pity
Author: Edna St. Vincent Millay

The poem explores themes of youth, joy, and the inevitability of aging and death. It addresses the heart, urging it to embrace life fully without remorse or hesitation. The speaker encourages a rejection of caution and a celebration of the present moment, emphasizing that the body is temporary and should be enjoyed while it can. The imagery of a house of bone symbolizes the physical body, which is fragile and ultimately destined to decay. The heart is called upon to disregard pity and to revel in the vibrancy of youth, suggesting that life should be lived passionately and without restraint. The poem contrasts the carefree nature of youth with the burdens of age, implying that the experiences and joys of youth should not be stifled by the fears and compromises that come with growing older. The speaker advocates for a hedonistic approach to life, where one should seize opportunities for joy and abandon the worries that accompany aging. The reference to Latin wisdom underscores the timelessness of this advice, reinforcing the idea that living fully in the moment is a universal truth. The poem concludes with a stark reminder that youth should not leave behind any remnants of caution for age to inherit, urging a complete investment in the joys of the present.

By Edna St. Vincent Millay · First published 1934 · Genre: Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Modernist Literature · 144 words

First lines

Heart, have no pity on this house of bone:

Shake it with dancing, break it down with joy.

No man holds mortgage on it; it is your own;

To give, to sell at auction, to destroy. When you are blind to moonlight on the bed, When you are deaf to gravel on the pane, Shall quavering caution from this house instead

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Heart, have no Pity is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay, dated 1934 CE.

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Work type: Poem
Author: Edna St. Vincent Millay
Date: 1934 CE
Language: English
Genres: Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Modernist Literature, Philosophical Poetry, Romanticism
Length: 144 words
Structure: 1 section, 10 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Similar titles

Genres

Poetry — The work is a poem that employs lyrical language and explores themes of youth, joy, and the inevitability of aging.
Lyric Poetry — The poem expresses personal emotions and thoughts, characteristic of lyric poetry, focusing on the internal experience of the speaker.
Modernist Literature — The poem reflects modernist themes such as the tension between youth and age, and the rejection of traditional forms and values.
Philosophical Poetry — The poem engages with philosophical ideas about life, youth, and the passage of time, prompting reflection on existence.