A Poem from Edna St. Vincent Millay: Grown-up Was it for this I uttered prayers, And sobbed and cursed and kicked the stairs, That now, domestic as a plate, I should retire at half-past eight?
Edna St. Vincent MillayRead
Listen, children: Your father is dead. From his old coats I'll make you little jackets; I'll make you little trousers From his old pants. There'll be in his pockets Things he used to put there, Keys and pennies Covered with tobacco; Dan shall have the pennies To save in his bank; Anne shall have the keys To make a pretty noise with. Life must go on, Though good men die; Anne, eat your breakfast; Dan, take your medicine; Life must go on; I forget just why.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the inevitability of life continuing after loss, blending sorrow with the practicalities of daily living.
In this poignant reflection on grief, Edna St. Vincent Millay conveys the bittersweet reality that life persists despite the absence of loved ones. The speaker speaks to children about their deceased father, demonstrating how everyday actions and small mementos can become a source of comfort and remembrance. The mention of making jackets and trousers from the father's old clothes symbolizes how we carry forward the memories of those we've lost while also emphasizing the necessity of moving on and finding solace in the mundane routines of life.
Themes
GriefLossLifeMemoriesContinuationFamily
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared at a memorial service to illustrate the continuing bond with the deceased.
More from Edna St. Vincent Millay
All quotes →Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age. The child is grown, and puts away childish things. Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.
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I went to Boston fully expecting to be arrested - arrested by a polizia created by a government that my ancestors rebelled to establish.
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I would I were alive again To kiss the fingers of the rain, To drink into my eyes the shine Of every slanting silver line, To catch the freshened, fragrant breeze From drenched and dripping apple-trees. For soon the shower will be done, And then the broad face of the sun Will laugh above the rain-soaked earth Until the world with answering mirth Shakes joyously, and each round drop Rolls twinkling, from its grass-blade top.
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I drank at every vine, the last was like the first. I came upon no wine so wonderful as thirst.
Edna St. Vincent MillayRead
She learned her hands in a fairy-tale, And her mouth on a valentine.
Edna St. Vincent MillayRead
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