Lines for a Grave-Stone

Name: Lines for a Grave-Stone
Author: Edna St. Vincent Millay

The poem presents a speaker addressing a mourner who laments their own life circumstances, expressing a desire for what they lack—wealth, beauty, love. The speaker challenges this perspective, suggesting that the mourner's view of their own existence as wretched is misguided. Instead, the speaker reveals a willingness to trade places with the mourner, indicating that they would prefer the mourner's struggles over their own state of being. The speaker reflects on the futility of desiring what others possess, emphasizing that even in death, there is a longing for life and its experiences. The tone oscillates between irony and sincerity, as the speaker acknowledges the harshness of life while simultaneously asserting the value of existence, regardless of its challenges. The poem ultimately critiques the tendency to romanticize death as an escape from life's difficulties, suggesting that life, with all its imperfections, is still preferable to the finality of death. Through this exchange, the poem explores themes of envy, the human condition, and the complex relationship between life and death. The speaker's willingness to exchange their fate underscores a deeper understanding of the shared struggles of humanity, inviting readers to reconsider their own perceptions of suffering and fulfillment.

By Edna St. Vincent Millay · First published 1939 · Genre: Poetry, Lyric, Philosophical · 129 words

First lines

Man alive, that mournst thy lot, Desiring what thou hast not got, Money, beauty, love, what not;

Deeming it blesseder to be A rotted man, than live to see

So rude a sky as covers thee;

Deeming thyself of all unblest And wretched souls the wretchedest, Longing to die and be at rest;

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Lines for a Grave-Stone is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay, dated 1939 CE.

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Work type: Poem
Author: Edna St. Vincent Millay
Date: 1939 CE
Language: English
Genres: Poetry, Lyric, Philosophical, Elegy, Modernist
Length: 129 words
Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)

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Similar titles

Genres

Poetry — The work is a poem that explores themes of mortality, desire, and existential reflection.
Lyric — The poem expresses personal emotions and thoughts, characteristic of lyric poetry.
Philosophical — The themes delve into philosophical questions about life, death, and the human condition.
Elegy — The poem reflects on death and the nature of existence, akin to an elegy.