What Savage Blossom
The poem explores themes of love, loss, and the complexities of emotional experiences. It begins with a reflection on a unique and resilient flower that thrives in a harsh environment, symbolizing a relationship that has endured challenges. The speaker acknowledges the struggle and intensity of their feelings, suggesting that the relationship was shaped by external pressures and internal conflicts. As the poem progresses, the speaker grapples with the nature of their emotions, distinguishing between love and hate. They express a sense of resignation, recognizing that the relationship has ended and can no longer be defined by the intensity it once held. The speaker seeks to label their experience honestly, acknowledging its authenticity without romanticizing it. The imagery of nature serves as a backdrop for the emotional landscape, with references to green leaves and autumn symbolizing growth and change. The poem captures the bittersweet essence of memories, where the beauty of the past is intertwined with the pain of its conclusion. Ultimately, it reflects on the complexity of human emotions, the inevitability of change, and the acceptance of what has transpired.
By Edna St. Vincent Millay · First published 1920 · Genre: Poetry, Lyric, Romanticism · 155 words
First lines
Do I not know what savage blossom only under the pitting hail Of your inclement climate could have prospered? Here lie
Green leaves to wade in, and of the many roads not one road leading outward from this place But is blocked by boughs that will hiss and simmer when they burn-green autumn, lady, green autumn on this land!
Do I not know what inward pressure only could inflate its petals to withstand (No, no, not hate, not hate) the onslaught of a little time with you?
No, no, not love, not love. Call it by name, Now that it's over, now that it is gone and cannot hear us.
What this Textopian page supports
What Savage Blossom is listed on Textopian as a poem 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: Poem
- Author: Edna St. Vincent Millay
- Date: 1920 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric, Romanticism, Modernism, Nature
- Length: 155 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for What Savage Blossom by Edna St. Vincent Millay
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Similar titles
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- Lament by Ranier Maria Rilke
- The Apple Trees Bud by Edna St Vincent Millay
- Dawn by Edna St Vincent Millay
- Pastoral by Edna St Vincent Millay
- Remembrance by W. B. Yeats
Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse, employing poetic devices and structure.
- Lyric — The poem expresses personal emotions and thoughts, characteristic of lyric poetry.
- Romanticism — Themes of nature, emotion, and individual experience align with Romantic ideals.
- Modernism — The poem reflects modernist themes of introspection and complexity in human relationships.
Tags
Poetry · Romance · Nature · Love · Loss · Grief · Mortality · Beauty · Suffering · Longing · Yearning · Hope
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