Love is not All

Name: Love is not All
Author: Edna St. Vincent Millay

The poem explores the complex relationship between love and survival, asserting that while love is essential, it is not a physical necessity like food, shelter, or health. The speaker acknowledges that love cannot provide basic human needs or alleviate suffering. Despite this, the absence of love can lead to despair and a willingness to sacrifice it for comfort or survival. The speaker contemplates the depths of pain and desperation one might face, suggesting that in extreme circumstances, the temptation to trade love for peace or sustenance could arise. However, the speaker ultimately expresses a strong conviction that they would not make such a trade, emphasizing the intrinsic value of love beyond mere physical needs. The poem juxtaposes the emotional significance of love against the harsh realities of life, highlighting its power and the speaker's determination to hold onto it despite adversity.

By Edna St. Vincent Millay · First published 1931 · Genre: Poetry, Romanticism, Modernism · 156 words

First lines

Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink

Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain; Nor yet a floating spar to men that sink

And rise and sink and rise and sink again; Love can not fill the thickened lung with breath, Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;

Yet many a man is making friends with death

What this Textopian page supports

Love is not All is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay, dated 1931 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Poem
Author: Edna St. Vincent Millay
Date: 1931 CE
Language: English
Genres: Poetry, Romanticism, Modernism, Lyric, Philosophical
Length: 156 words
Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for Love is not All by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering Love is not All?
How does this poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Poetry first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Poetry — The work is a poem that explores themes of love and its limitations.
Romanticism — The poem reflects on the nature of love, a central theme in Romantic literature.
Modernism — The poem's structure and themes align with Modernist explorations of existential concerns.
Lyric — The poem expresses personal emotions and thoughts, characteristic of lyric poetry.