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
The young are so old, they are born with their fingers crossed.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that young people carry the weight of expectations and anxieties, leading them to act with caution from a young age.
Edna St. Vincent Millay's quote highlights the paradoxical nature of youth, where the innocence and vitality expected of the young is often overshadowed by the burdens of hope and fear. The imagery of being 'born with their fingers crossed' evokes a sense of apprehension and a desire for favorable outcomes, suggesting that even from an early age, individuals may feel the pressure of wishes and uncertainties that can overshadow their natural exuberance, leading them to navigate life with a certain wariness.
Themes
YouthExpectationsAnxietyBurdenWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote during a speech about the pressures faced by young people in modern society.
More from Edna St. Vincent Millay
All quotes βChildhood 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.
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.
Edna St. Vincent MillayRead
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.
Edna St. Vincent MillayRead
I drank at every vine, the last was like the first. I came upon no wine so wonderful as thirst.
Edna St. Vincent MillayRead
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