The Curse by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Name: The Curse
Author: Edna St. Vincent Millay

The poem explores themes of love, loss, and the enduring nature of memory. The speaker expresses a desire for their ashes to be scattered by the wind, symbolizing a wish for freedom and transformation after death. They envision encounters with various individuals—a fisherman and a farmer boy—who will remark on the strangeness of the speaker's essence, now transformed into something ethereal and unrecognizable. The imagery of nature, such as fish scales, butterfly wings, and plum petals, emphasizes beauty and fragility, contrasting with the bitterness that lingers in the speaker's connection to a loved one. The speaker acknowledges that those who once knew them will not recognize their spirit, yet they will remain a part of the loved one's life, subtly influencing their existence like a bitter berry in a brew. Ultimately, the work reflects on the complexities of human relationships, the inevitability of change, and the haunting presence of love that persists even after physical separation. The speaker's ashes symbolize both a release and a continued attachment, suggesting that while the physical form may fade, the emotional impact endures.

By Edna St. Vincent Millay · First published 1920 · Genre: Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Romanticism · 262 words

First lines

Oh, lay my ashes on the wind That blows across the sea.

And I shall meet a fisherman Out of Capri, And he will say, seeing me, "What a strange thing!

Like a fish's scale or a Butterfly's wing."

Oh, lay my ashes on the wind That blows away the fog.

What this Textopian page supports

The Curse is listed on Textopian as a short story by Edna St. Vincent Millay, dated 1920 CE.

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

Work type: Short story
Author: Edna St. Vincent Millay
Date: 1920 CE
Language: English
Genres: Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Romanticism, Modernism, Elegy
Length: 262 words
Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)

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Similar titles

Genres

Poetry — The work is a poem that employs lyrical language and explores themes of death, memory, and nature.
Lyric Poetry — The poem expresses personal emotions and thoughts, characteristic of lyric poetry.
Romanticism — The themes of nature and individual emotion align with Romantic literary ideals.
Modernism — The poem reflects modernist themes of existential reflection and the transient nature of life.