The Philosopher
The poem explores the idea of a philosopher who has abandoned worldly desires and material possessions to pursue knowledge and understanding. The speaker describes the philosopher's austere lifestyle, devoid of comforts and pleasures, yet filled with a sense of purpose and conviction. Through the philosopher's example, the poem examines the tension between desire and renunciation, highlighting the difficulties and rewards of a life dedicated to the pursuit of wisdom.
By Edna St. Vincent Millay · First published 1929 · Genre: Poetry, Romance, Drama · 150 words
First lines
And what are you that, wanting you I should be kept awake As many nights as there are days With weeping for your sake?
And what are you that, missing you, As many days as crawl I should be listening to the wind And looking at the wall?
I know a man that's a braver man And twenty men as kind, And what are you, that you should be The one man in my mind?
Yet women's ways are witless ways, As any sage will tell, -- And what am I, that I should love So wisely and so well?
What this Textopian page supports
The Philosopher is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay, dated 1929 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: 1929 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Romance, Drama
- Length: 150 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Philosopher by Edna St. Vincent Millay
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
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- Incomplete by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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- Saturday Afternoon by Emily Dickinson
- This Is Mine And I Can Hold It by Edna St Vincent Millay
Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse, with a rhythmic and rhyming structure typical of poetry.
- Romance — The content revolves around love and longing, common themes in the romance genre.
- Drama — The emotional intensity and personal conflict suggest elements of drama.
Tags
Philosophy · Poetry · Modernism · Feminist Literature · American Literature · 20th Century · Free Verse · Lyric Poetry · Autobiographical · Introspective · Psychological Insight · Emotional Depth
More by Edna St. Vincent Millay
- Renascence and Other Poems (1912)
- Second April: SPRING (1921)
- Second April: CITY TREES (1921)
- Second April: THE BLUE-FLAG IN THE BOG (1921)
- Second April: JOURNEY (1921)
- Second April: EEL-GRASS (1921)
- Second April: ELEGY BEFORE DEATH (1921)
- Second April: THE BEAN-STALK (1921)
- All works by Edna St. Vincent Millay