The poem explores the speaker's desire to break free from societal expectations and forge their own path in life. The title "Second Fig" refers to a fig tree that has been neglected and is now barren, symbolizing the stifling of one's creativity and individuality. The speaker yearns to abandon the conventional and embrace a more unconventional lifestyle, seeking freedom and autonomy.
By Edna St. Vincent Millay · First published 1920 · Genre: Poetry, Modernism, Feminist Literature