Edna St. Vincent Millay's 'Conscientious Objector'

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William Blake was born in 1757, in London England. He was the second of seven children. He grew up in a comfortable lifestyle with loving parents. Blake was home schooled for reading and writing and attended art school as a young boy because he was artistic. As a young boy, he claimed to see visions. “He told his parents about these visions and they encouraged him to keep it to himself. His parents claimed that they were childish fantasies. Eventually the visions are the base for his creative writing. When he was 25 he married Catherine Boucher.” (The Fly 6) Boucher was initially illiterate. Her husband taught her how to read and write she then because his assistant. “At age 26, published his first poetry volume. This was the first of many of his books to be self-published. Most of Blake’s work went unnoticed after he did. A man by the name of Alexander Gilchrist published a biography about Blake’s life. Since then he …show more content…

Vincent Millay’s poem “Conscientious Objector,” she recognizes death as a man. She knows that someday she will die; in the meantime she refuses to help in the process of death for peers and others around her. Secondly, she says that death is in a hurry and has much to do. She refers to the Spanish American war. By referring to the war death has to make many stops on his voyage. Death does not need any help with this process. She then goes on to say that the journey that is going to take place is a hunt. It is a fox hunt, what she means by this is an ancient sport generally played by upper class men. Recently, it has become popular in America. The sport kills the foxes. Millay is saying that she is against the famous sport. The next stanza reiterates that she refuses to help in the process of death for those around her. No matter the price that is offered to her she will under no circumstance help in the death process. Furthermore, she asks “why would death want my help?” She speculates that he may be a sales informant or even a

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