That Love at Length should Find Me

Name: That Love at Length should Find Me
Author: Edna St. Vincent Millay

The poem explores the complex relationship between love and self-awareness. The speaker acknowledges the inevitability of love's arrival, recognizing both its beauty and its burdens. There is a sense of resignation as the speaker reflects on the pain and humiliation that love can bring, likening it to a bitter crust that is thrust upon them. The speaker grapples with the public nature of their suffering, as love's proclamation is loud and unavoidable, yet they assert that the consequences of their feelings are ultimately their own responsibility. The poem conveys a tension between desire and acceptance, highlighting the speaker's internal conflict and the societal perceptions of love and suffering. The conclusion emphasizes a sense of autonomy, suggesting that despite external judgments, the speaker's emotional experience is personal and self-contained.

By Edna St. Vincent Millay · First published 1923 · Genre: Poetry, Romanticism, Modernism · 150 words

First lines

That Love at length should find me out and bring

This fierce and trivial brow unto the dust, Is, after all, I must confess, but just; There is a subtle beauty in this thing, A wry perfection; wherefore now let sing

All voices how into my throat is thrust, Unwelcome as Death's own, Love's bitter crust, All criers proclaim it, and all steeples ring. This being done, there let the matter rest. What more remains is neither here nor there.

That you requite me not is plain to see; Myself your slave herein have I confessed:

What this Textopian page supports

That Love at Length should Find Me is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay, dated 1923 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: 1923 CE
Language: English
Genres: Poetry, Romanticism, Modernism, Lyric, Sonnet
Length: 150 words
Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Similar titles

Genres

Poetry — The work is a poem that explores themes of love, suffering, and self-reflection, characteristic of Millay's lyrical style.
Romanticism — The poem embodies romantic themes, focusing on the complexities of love and emotional depth.
Modernism — The poem reflects modernist elements through its introspective tone and exploration of personal experience.
Lyric — The poem is a personal expression of feelings, typical of lyric poetry.