Analysis Of The Poem If I Should Learn - 858 Words

After first reading Edna St. Vincent Millay’s lyric poem, â€Å"If I Should Learn, in Some Quite Casual Way,† one may be taken aback by just how unconcerned the speaker, possibly Millay herself, seems to be with this scenario. Only after going back through the poem a time or two can one understand what Millay truly means. Figures of speech are methodically placed to give the impression that not much effort went into this mere thought. In the opening lines of Millay’s poem, it seems as if she is speaking to a lover. The tone of the poem is set in the first line, â€Å"in some quite casual way† (1). Throughout the sonnet, one senses a frighteningly casual tone, something very matter of fact, as if these fourteen lines are a passing thought in Millay’s head. The alliteration of â€Å"quite casual† supports the plain-spoken tone, giving a feel of simple, everyday speech. Millay imagines that as she is on the subway, she casually glances over and notices on â€Å"the back-page of a paper, say / Held by a neighbor† (3-4) her lover is gone and not to return. She reveals in the next quatrain that her lover, â€Å"a hurrying man† (7), was killed at noon that day. Millay points out how casual the incident is, saying how the man who â€Å"happened to be killed† (8) just so â€Å"happened to be† (7) her lover. She includes the repetition of â€Å"happened to be† to strengthen the poem’s casual mood. In the final quatrain, after reading the information on this paper, Millay could not or would not cry out loud but insteadShow MoreRelatedPoems: Poetry and Free Verse Poem774 Words   |  4 PagesPoetry Journal Project **Due Monday, February 4, 2013** You will create a poetry journal. It will contain 20 poems. Each poem will contain one of the items below. You may not use the same poem twice. You may not use any poem we have read in class. 1. Rhyme (any kind) 11. 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