Now by this Moon

Name: Now by this Moon
Author: Edna St. Vincent Millay

The poem explores themes of love, longing, and existential despair. The speaker expresses an urgent desire for connection, emphasizing the emotional turmoil caused by separation. The imagery of the moon serves as a temporal marker, symbolizing the passage of time and the inevitability of fate. The speaker grapples with the weight of societal expectations and moral judgments, questioning their significance in the face of profound personal suffering. The speaker's anguish is palpable, as they confront the pain of absence and the struggle for emotional fulfillment. The invocation of elements like "brine and fire" illustrates the intensity of their feelings, suggesting a tumultuous inner life. The poem reflects a tension between the desire for love and the harsh realities of existence, culminating in a stark declaration of the speaker's fate—either death or reunion. Ultimately, the work captures the essence of human vulnerability, the relentless pursuit of connection, and the existential questions that arise in the face of love's challenges. The speaker's plea for authenticity and the rejection of superficial societal norms resonate throughout, creating a poignant exploration of the human condition.

By Edna St. Vincent Millay · First published 1920 · Genre: Poetry, Romanticism, Modernism · 142 words

First lines

Now by this moon, before this moon shall wane shall be dead or I shall be with you! No moral concept can outweigh the pain

Past rack and wheel this absence puts me through;

Faith, honour, pride, endurance, what the tongues

Of tedious men will say, or what the law-For which of these do I fill up my lungs

What this Textopian page supports

Now by this Moon is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay, dated 1920 CE.

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Work type: Poem
Author: Edna St. Vincent Millay
Date: 1920 CE
Language: English
Genres: Poetry, Romanticism, Modernism, Lyrical, Existentialism
Length: 142 words
Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Genres

Poetry — The work is a poem that explores themes of love, loss, and existential reflection, characteristic of Millay's poetic style.
Romanticism — The poem embodies romantic themes, focusing on deep emotional experiences and the intensity of love.
Modernism — The poem reflects modernist elements through its introspective nature and exploration of individual emotions in a changing world.
Lyrical — The work is lyrical in its expression, emphasizing personal feelings and thoughts in a musical form.