Thursday, April 16, 2009

Theme Thursday = Earth


The Return


Earth does not understand her child,
Who from the loud gregarious town
Returns, depleted and defiled,
To the still woods, to fling him down.

Earth can not count the sons she bore:
The wounded lynx, the wounded man
Come trailing blood unto her door;
She shelters both as best she can.

But she is early up and out,
To trim the year or strip its bones;
She has no time to stand about
Talking of him in undertones

Who has no aim but to forget,
Be left in peace, be lying thus
For days, for years, for centuries yet,
Unshaven and anonymous;

Who, marked for failure, dulled by grief,
Has traded in his wife and friend
For this warm ledge, this alder leaf:
Comfort that does not comprehend.


Edna St. Vincent Millay, 1934
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How appropriate that this Theme Thursday is "earth", this coming
Wednesday being Earth Day. Since you know I am taking full
advantage of National Poetry Month, I had to post this powerful
piece by one of my very favorite poets, Edna St. Vincent Millay,
1892 – 1950. She was an American lyrical poet and playwright, the
shining red haired heroine of bohemian fame, famous for her
insouciance and bravado. Millay was the first woman to receive the
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1923.
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photo from Flickr by mikE~510

66 comments:

  1. amazing poetry. powerful words, will be chewing on those for days. the opening pic was incredible as well. nice play!

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  2. This is a great poem, Willow. I love the idea of returning to the still woods. I feel more comprehending comforting comfort, perhaps, than is expressed here.

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  3. Nice. Happy Earth Themed Thursday - I'm getting jazzed for Earth Day. . .

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  4. Beautiful poem, very appropriate for this month. Happy Earth Day, Willow, and thank you for all the nurturing you do.

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  5. nice...obscure...earthy.
    Happy Earth day, Have a Happy Thursday

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  6. I think you've found your artist's outlet and form. I do believe it.

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  7. Beautiful poem. Imagine the place she was at, in her mind, seventy-five years ago writing this. Happy Earth Day.

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  8. We've severely wounded our home planet. For the Earth to heal itself there needs to be many of what we call "natural disasters". Humans excel at the unnatural kind.

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  9. that photograph is amazing

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  10. Oh, I've always loved Edna St vincent Millay and her poetry. A wonderful poem and very apt for the occasion. I love her in these photos here, too.

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  11. A really good poem-- I only having a passing knowledge of E St. Vincent Millay, & I've very much enjoyed the poems of hers you've selected.

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  12. To trim the year or strip its bones. I like that.

    She's a great poet. She first submitted as a man and surprised everyone when they found out she was a young girl.

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  13. she's one of my favs to teach...and i even have a character of my own named after her...without the hospital attachment 'St.' of course...these are moving posts...

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  14. Willow, thanks for the introduction to this poet...I will look up her works. The earth photo is wonderful.
    Happy days

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  15. I love Edna St. Vincent Millay. I also like Emily Dickinson. The first poem I learned in grade school was:

    A bird came down the walk:
    He did not know I saw —
    He bit an angleworm in halves
    And ate the fellow, raw.

    And then he drank a dew
    From a convenient grass,
    And then hopped sidewise to the wall
    To let a beetle pass.

    Another nice poem for Earth Day.

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  16. Willow, wow! more powerful than the H.H. one I posted( will show up after midnight ).

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  17. "Comfort that does not comprehend." That about sums up this age, doesn't it. A beautiful, powerful poem. Like Dickinson, there is more--much more-- to Millay than we are first taught. And I love the photo. Thank you.

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  18. Interesting poem I like the line "Earth can not count the sons she bore"

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  19. Wonderful poem, of course. But the picture of the forest blew me away!

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  20. Wonderful pick for theme thursday, however, I was a little tongue and cheek this week. Stop by...it's out of this world.

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  21. Willow---isn't Earth Day NEXT Wednesday, the 22nd? At least that is what my calendar says. I think that EVERY day should be Earth day however, so you cannot be wrong either way you look at it. Nice photograph.

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  22. Expansive, powerful and beautiful..
    Thank you for your beautiful and comforting wonderful blog
    Linda

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  23. What a great... moving poem. I've never heard of Edna Vincent St Mlllay. I felt strangely comforted for this man when read 'for this warm ledge, this alder leaf: comfort that does not comprehend'... as I knew he was at peace.

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  24. Beautiful, and thanks for the photo and mini bio, too!

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  25. Dear Willow, I'll surely be checking into your blog as frequently as able from this point on. I have so much transition and issues in my life right now that I don't feel I can blog that much presently so rather than keep losing more and more viewers with less visits, I'd rather just shut it down for a while at least. Take care. Love your blog, as you know.
    -Sponge.

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  26. awesome photo!
    Happy Theme Thursday!

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  27. She is a very powerful woman. Most would love that and the reset, a pile of problems.

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  28. I like the photo that you chose as an illustration to this beautiful poem!

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  29. Hello Willow,

    I really enjoyed reading this poem too. I admire poetry that can convey a message and rhyme beautifully at the same time! Great choice and picture too.

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  30. What an appropriate poem and theme for this rainy Thursdya here in London. Mother Earth is crying tears of joy (or sorrow? Who knows?) and I have just taken a pause from working at home to soak up this wonderful poem. What a delicate way to put the lynx and the man together, beast and rational being, although, admittedly, sometimes it's hard to tell who is who.

    Many thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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  31. This is really nice Willow and I just love the picture you have chosen to illutrate that wonderful poem.

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  32. You have such talent for choosing wonderful theme poetry Willow!
    That was beautiful!

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  33. A warm ledge and comfort..to find, to rest. So much power in this yearning..Earth just is, and we putter around..Thank you.

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  34. Beautiful poem, Willow! And lovely photo...so serene. Happy Earth Day!

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  35. I don't think I ever thanked you for Savage Beauty. Wow, what a life. I passed the book on to my sister who is also a big fan of Millay.

    I love the word "insouciant."

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  36. she continues to amaze. both mother earth and Edna

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  37. Our favorite poet and a beautiful photo. Perfect

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  38. Good choice, great poem, and great poet. It doesn't get any better. Pappy

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  39. Thank you so much for posting these poems. I often think that poetry is my very life-blood, our poetry collection at home encyclopedic...but still, you have continued to introduce me to new and ever more wonderful pieces...

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  40. Thank you, thank you! I love Millay, but all my books of poetry are packed in boxes. Thanks too for the photos of her, and the really lovely photo at the top of this post - is it yours?

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  41. I had not heard of her, willow.
    It is certainly an appropriate poem for earth day - and your photograph is perfect for it.

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  42. "famous for her insouciance and bravado"; I love this. Live with gusto, live a lot, get your creativity out and down on the page. "She has no time to stand about". A road map for authentic living. Thanks Willow.

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  43. Spectacular photo, provocative poem. Happy Earth Day.

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  44. Teri, yes, this coming Wednesday!

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  45. I loved that poem and I love Edna. Thank you for reminding us that next Wednesday is Earth Day.

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  46. Hilarywho, I wish I COULD say this photo is mine, but I gave credit to the photographer at the end of the post. ;^)

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  47. Very nice poem and it makes you think. What makes us think affects us deep inside. Nice pic.

    Thank you for letting us read this poem. Happy Earth day.

    God bless.

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  48. What a great choice! The photo is wonderful for this post!

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  49. That is some major fabulous photo! Oh and poems not bad either .. ;-D

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  50. Like everyone else, I agree, this is a wonderful post, poem, photos and biography...thanks for making it all so lovely to read!

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  51. Thank you for this beautiful poem,
    I haven't read it in ages!

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  52. Really beautiful poem, Willow! Love the light on the picture too!

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  53. Glorious stuff. And what a great picture too.

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  54. Everyone has been here before me and said what a wonderful poem it is; such depth. Great photo too.

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  55. awe inspiring- and timely- here in our tiny French village- the mayor wants to cut down 100year old Platanes which line both sides of the street !!!They are the home of owls and starlings- being an outsider ,I am not sure I will be effective in halting these absurd plans---but, I surely will try. Thanks again for the great poetry.

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  56. I like this poem as it deals with things that are close to my heart.

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  57. Sorry, no raisins but really enjoyed the poem ; )

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  58. Wonderful poem, Willow! The image is ideal - the mists and shadows of the steaming earth. Brilliant!

    Kat

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  59. Hi! Willow,
    Thank-you! for sharing 3 things in your post this Theme Thurday... Edna St. Vincent Millay, poem and the additional information about poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. Lastly,
    The "beautiful" photograph, but of course!
    Thanks,
    Deedee ;-D

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  60. Love both poem and illustration, they harmonise so well.

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  61. terrific Millay choice. Have you read her recent bio, Savage Beauty, by Nancy Milford? It is excellent.

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  62. California Girl, yes! I've read (and have a copy in my library) of Savage Beauty. It is excellent! And is just watched a little documentary made in the 60's, Millay at Steepletop. Nice little piece with archival footage of Vincent and her husband. Fun to see.

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)