(Rockland (Maine), 22 February 1892 – Austerlitz, New York, 19 October 1950).
American poet, playwright and activist. She used the pseudonym Nancy Boyd for her prose work. She received the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1923, making her the third woman to be awarded the prize.
Edna St. Vincent Millay. Photo: thoughtco.com
April comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.
Photo: Annie Spratt. Meaning💡 🌸 : This quote is a powerful example of how Millay turns traditional images of spring on their head. 💔 No Joy, but Pain: Normally, spring is associated with new life, hope, and joy. For the speaker in this poem, however, the beauty of nature is “not enough.” The contrast between the blooming world and the speaker’s inner emptiness or pain makes spring bitter. 🤡 The “Idiot”: By describing April as an “idiot” who “babbles” and “scatters flowers,” Millay portrays spring as a brainless, repetitive force. Nature continues its cycle regardless of human suffering. The abundance of flowers feels superficial and meaningless (“babbling”). 😢 Emotional Background: It is believed that this poem was written after the end of a passionate affair. It reflects the disillusionment and existential questions that can follow great heartbreak. The intrusive beauty of spring offers no solace, but merely emphasizes what has been lost. 📚 Origin and Context: ✍️ Author:Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892–1950). 📖 Work: The poem titled “Spring”. 📅 Publication:First published in 1921 in the collection “Second April”.🏆 Background: Millay was 29 years old when this collection appeared. Just two years later, in 1923, she became the third woman ever to win the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for poetry (for her collection ‘The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver’).
April this year, not otherwise than April of a year ago, is full of whispers, full of sighs, dazzling mud, and dingy snow. Hepaticas that pleased you so are here again, and butterflies.
Hepatica nobilis (lever flower). Photo: Natalia Gusakova
Door Pieter
Mensenmens, zoon, echtgenoot, vader, opa.
Spiritueel, echter niet religieus.
Ik hou van golf, wandelen, lezen en de natuur in veel opzichten.
Onderzoeker, nieuwsgierig, geen fan van de mainstream media (MSM).
