Edna St. Vincent Millay: Collected Lyrics

I really relate to Ms. Milay's poety. I too write poetry and reading her works really inspires me. She has a way of using words to paint a story, a way of taking you to the very place she writes about. She writes about the ocean, the world, the beauty of nature in ways that other poets haven't. I think my favorite is "Blue Flag in The Bog." Blue Flag is a flower and holds a lot of meaning for her in this, yes, I dare to say, Epic poem. I wish I had had the pleasure of knowing Ms. Milay. I believe we are kindred spirits.

The book came right in time and in great condition.

Clear choice of words in many poems paint a splendid perspective.

What a great women indeed.

I gave as a gift and was very satisfied

millay's collection of poems was not, in my opinion, a very good one. there were a dozen or so good poems (most of them from her collection _A Few Figs From Thistles_), but most were just not very good.

I wish I had found this book when I was somewhere between 15-24. The sentiments and thoughts conjured in these wonderful lyrics are the suppressed and complex feelings I had but was unable to express them. I feel like I understand my youth better as a result of this wonderful collection.Her poems present intense emotions and jarring tensions, either of passion for our passing earth or lamentation for our finiteness.

I feel that anyone who gives this collection less than 5 stars hasn't given it a chance. This is the only book of poetry out of the many that I own that I have read cover-to-cover several times. My copy is dog-eared, sun-tanned, spilled-on, underlined... showing all of the signs of a book extremely well-loved. Why? Because Millay says things like the phrase I used for the title of this review, as well as:"Above these cares my spirit in calm abidingFloats like a swimmer at sunrise, facing the pale sky." -- from ABOVE THESE CARES"My heart is warm with the friends I make,And better friends I'll not be knowing;Yet there isn't a train I wouldn't take,No matter where it's going." -- from TRAVEL"Ashes am I of all that once I seemed.In me all's sunk that leapt, and all that dreamed." -- from THE SUICIDE"Oh little leaves that are so dumbAgainst the shrieking city air,I watch you when the wind has come,--I know what sound is there." -- from CITY TREESThose are just the first few that sprung out at me from the several phrases I marked in my own copy - there are so many more that I wish I had the room to share here, but since I do not, I will close with this fitting lyric from THE POET and HIS BOOK:"Stranger, pause and look;From the dust of agesLift this little book,Turn the tattered pages,Read me, do not let me die!Search the fading letters, findingSteadfast in the broken bindingAll that once was I!"I sincerely hope you "pause and look" at Millay's COLLECTED LYRICS - it is like a script of wonderful lines describing life.