Poetry for Students, Volume 31

THEMES

Grief and Loss
Although the poem does not reveal exactly what
the speaker is going through, the extended com-
parison with Penelope and Ulysses implies extreme
hardship and long suffering. As the speaker wipes
her tears on the corner of her apron, suggesting she
is a modern housewife, she thinks that Penelope,
the epitome of the classical wife, also cried. She
gives the reasons only for Penelope’s tears, but the
reader imagines Penelope as reflecting the speak-
er’s feelings and similar burdens. The archetype of
Penelope is used to evoke the situation of a wife
whose husband or loved one is absent—a personal
loss, but more in that it puts the woman into a

position of pressure and hopeless exhaustion, as

forced to try to hold her world together by herself.

She has no support or partner and must cope

alone. The loss of the loved one and his help

does not feel temporary; it is of such long standing

that her grief gives way, and she weeps. The

attendant doubt and worry are suggested by the

aching back and neck, and the endless night in

which Penelope must stay up, undoing her weav-

ing in secret so that the suitors will not find out she

is delaying, always hoping her husband is alive and

will one day return. She does not know where he is

or if he is coming back. She begins to think the

light will never come.

The focus, then, is on the grief of the woman,

though Ulysses, too, had to endure grief and loss

TOPICS FOR

FURTHER

STUDY

 Compare and contrast other modern poems

about Penelope, such as Louise Gluck’s

‘‘Ithaca’’ and Yannis Ritsos’s ‘‘Penelope’s

Despair,’’ to Millay’s ‘‘An Ancient Gesture.’’

How is the relationship between Penelope and

Ulysses interpreted differently by each poet?

Which interpretation do you think is most con-

vincing and why? Write a paper explaining

your response, choosing lines and images to

support your point of view.

 Research the New Critics—mid-twentieth-

century writers such as John Crowe Ransom,

Allen Tate, Cleanth Brooks, and T. S. Eliot—

and their ideas about what was good modern

poetry. Then read some of Millay’s poems

and apply the standards of New Criticism.

Why does Millay’s poetry not appear to

meet their criteria? Do you agree with their

evaluations of Millay’s work? Why or why

not? Give a class presentation on the topic.

Read some of Millay’s poems aloud and dis-

cuss with the class whether you think they are

old fashioned and sentimental, or whether

they still have a place in our literature.

Working with a group, research the definition

and history of lyric poetry and famous lyric

poets throughout history. Each person in the

group should then choose a poem from a differ-

ent lyric poet, reading it aloud and identifying

its theme and lyric qualities. The final speaker

should read a poem of Millay’s. Have a round-

table discussion, comparing and contrasting

Millay’s lyric style with the styles of other lyric

poets.

With a partner, listen to recordings of sev-

eral famous poets reading their own poems,

including Edna St. Vincent Millay. What does

the poet’s own voice bring to the poem? How

is poetry different heard aloud than read on

the page? Try taking the same poems and

reading them yourselves in different ways to

bring out various effects; for example, read

for the sound rather than the meaning, or

read conversationally rather than dramati-

cally.Attheendoftheexperiments,writea

report presenting your conclusions about how

reading poems aloud changes the experience

of understanding poetry, giving examples

from the poems.

An Ancient Gesture