Reviews

Collected Poems by Norma Millay, Edna St. Vincent Millay

plaidpladd's review

slow-paced

3.0

I feel like an uncultured swine saying this, but nature poems are kind of whatever for me, usually. Occasionally you get one that really slaps, and I think that's why I keep reading these gigantic collections of poetry because you read like 800 pages of poems to find 3 that will stay with you for life. It's worth it. But it makes the books themselves kind of hard to rate. I did like how this edition had excerpts from her letters and some interesting photos at the end.

ccoelophysis's review

5.0

Beautiful! So much about death, and a collection I intend to return to in different stages of what remains of my own life.

aelbergan's review

5.0

I continue to read and reread this anthology. Millay’s poetry is beautiful, lyrical, engaging, and, at times, a bit humorous. There are so many different poems of hers that have been relevant to me at different times in my life-sometimes “First Fig” speaks to me; other times “Dirge Without Music” resonates with something inside of me.
Millay’s poetry is something that took hold of me and didn’t let go. Her writing style is amazing, and I truly love reading her poetry. One of the things I love the most is the diversity of her works: she writes sonnets, couplets, what I can only describe as lengthy poems, and everything in between.

rschmidt7's review against another edition

5.0

My favorite poet. One of the greatest poets of the 20th century, and an amazing collection here. The book itself too is aesthetically and physically pleasing; the matte cover and the size and shape. I've reread my favorites countless times and find myself returning to the book regularly.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in poetry.

ashleec15's review against another edition

5.0

Excellent. There's more to Millay than the brief candle of a poem that one reads in high school, and it is rather good.

thehappybooker's review

5.0

Almost all of this collection is worth memorizing, even if only a stray phrase sticks: 'the sun rose dripping, a bucket full of gold' and 'he who eats of love must eat it where it falls' and 'life must go on; I forget just why.' Her poetry brings a lump to my throat more often than any other poet.

salicat's review

5.0

I passed by "Savage Beauty" years ago, struck by the picture of the woman on the cover. It was a bio of poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. I'd never heard of her, but she looked like something out of The Great Gatsby. I decided to pick up her poetry finally, and the first one I turned to was "Renascence." I've adored various poets- Neruda, Angelou, Noyes, but I felt this one poem more deeply than years of literature put together. A poem's never done that to me- I was shocked, tearful, joyous, frozen altogether.

The poems that strike us the most are the simple ones with spirit and fire- almost too precious to be dissected in English classes. So is the case with this one. It's almost a blessing that being graded on Millay never happened to most people- it makes the reading fresh, clandestine, like someone sneaking a first kiss behind the trees.

buttermellow's review

emotional reflective sad

• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny

Minor: War, Death, and Suicide

scarlettdowd's review against another edition

5.0

tfg time

raloveridge's review

5.0

Siiiiiiiiigh.

I don't quite know how she does it--coy yet direct, flirtatious yet utterly full of doom. Millay is my new hero.