This Beast that Rends Me

Name: This Beast that Rends Me
Author: Edna St. Vincent Millay

The poem explores the intense and painful experience of love, likening it to a beast that inflicts deep emotional wounds. The speaker expresses a sense of being overwhelmed by longing and desire, which is depicted as a consuming force that leaves them vulnerable and exposed. As the seasons change, there is a recognition that this anguish will eventually fade, suggesting a cyclical nature to love and suffering. The speaker anticipates healing and the eventual dulling of the pain, indicating that time will allow them to forget the intensity of their current feelings. However, there is an acknowledgment that the scars left by this experience will remain, serving as a reminder of the emotional turmoil endured. The imagery of the "claw" and "sword" emphasizes the lasting impact of this love, suggesting that even if the speaker moves on to new relationships, they will carry the weight of this past encounter. The poem captures the duality of love as both a source of joy and profound suffering, illustrating the complexity of human emotions. The speaker's reflections reveal a deep awareness of the transformative power of love, while also recognizing the inevitable pain that accompanies it. Ultimately, the work conveys a sense of resignation to the scars of love, highlighting the interplay between desire, loss, and the passage of time.

By Edna St. Vincent Millay · First published 1920 · Genre: Poetry, Romanticism, Modernism · 154 words

First lines

This beast that rends me in the sight of all, This love, this longing, this oblivious thing, That has me under as the last leaves fall, Will glut, will sicken, will be gone by spring.

The wound will heal, the fever will abate, The knotted hurt will slacken in the breast; I shall forget before the flickers mate

Your look that is today my east and west.

Unscathed, however, from a claw so deep

What this Textopian page supports

This Beast that Rends Me 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, Lyric, Confessional
Length: 154 words
Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

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Similar titles

Genres

Poetry — The work is a poem that explores themes of love, longing, and emotional pain through lyrical language.
Romanticism — The poem reflects romantic themes, focusing on intense emotions and personal experiences related to love.
Modernism — The poem employs modernist techniques, such as fragmented imagery and a focus on subjective experience.
Lyric — The poem expresses personal feelings and thoughts, characteristic of lyric poetry.