hedonistic lifestyle in her poems, especially in the
famous collectionA Few Figs from Thistles(1920).
Her call to burn the candle at both ends in ‘‘The
First Fig’’ became the motto of her generation. The
notoriety and popularity that Millay gained in
Greenwich Village gave her the successful momen-
tum that she needed. In the 1920s, she won prizes
for her poetry, went to Paris to write forVanity Fair,
and won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1923 for
The Harp-Weaver, and Other Poems, becoming the
firstwomantoearnthathonor.
Europe in the 1920s
Millay, like many American expatriates, found
Paris an exciting and stimulating atmosphere. She
traveled as a liberated woman on her own and
lived in Paris from 1920 to 1921, mingling with
the bohemians of the Left Bank. She was eagerly
sought out by many suitors and artists. The critic
Edmund Wilson, who had done much to help
Millay’s career, was in love with her and followed
her there but had to give up his suit. He eventually
estrangedMillaybywritinganovel,I Thought of
Daisy(1929), that portrayed her through the char-
acter Rita Cavanaugh.
In Paris, Edna alternated reclusive periods of
writing in her hotel with the uninhibited party life
of Paris and travel to exotic places such as Rome,
Vienna, Albania, and England with various lovers.
This period of travel cemented her love of French
poetry, which she later turned to account in a
translation of Baudelaire,Flowers of Evil(1936),COMPARE
&
CONTRAST Ancient Greece:Most Greek women have no
rights or independent status. They must submit
to men, though women can wield unofficial
power through their character or creativity,
as Penelope does in Homer’sOdyssey.
1950s:In the Western world, women have the
right to vote, to be educated, and to control
their own lives, although they still face social
pressure when choosing to go beyond being a
homemaker. Few women gain public recog-
nition for their work comparable to that
gained by men.
Today:Diversity of domestic lifestyle is
socially accepted, and women have equality
and recognition in most professions and the
political process, though they may be under-
paid or underrepresented.
Ancient Greece:Most ancient Greek poets are
men, with a few exceptions, such as Praxilla,
Korinna, and Sappho of Lesbos. Although
these women poets are famous in their day,
even winning prizes over men, their poems
eventually lose favor and are not preserved.
1950s:The twentieth century sees more women
publishing poetry in the Western world, butthey are seldom taken as seriously as male
poets and have more difficulty being accepted
into the official literary canon.
Today:Women of all ethnic groups are more
fairlyrepresentedinthepoetrycanonandwin
the same prizes and honors men do. Feminist
studies reintroduce neglected women poets of
the past.
Ancient Greece:Lyric poetry comes after the
age of Homer, with his long tales and formal
epic verse style. The classical lyric poets
experiment with short, direct songs about
love and life, as accompanied by a lyre.
1950s:Lyric poetry is appreciated predomi-
nantly as a classic genre composed by the
Greeks, romantics, and Elizabethans. Serious
contemporary poetry moves toward intellec-
tual and philosophical verse in experimental
forms.
Today:Lyric poetry remains a versatile genre
used by serious poets as well as popular
artists. Some song lyrics are taken seriously
as poetry and printed in literature antholo-
gies, such as songs of the Beatles, Bob Dylan,
and Leonard Cohen.An Ancient Gesture