Analysis Of Love Is Not All

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Love is not all…Maybe? Love has been the cause of some of the greatest feats, discoveries, and battles in the history of man. It has driven men to insanity and despair, while it has lead others to happiness and bliss. This idea that love has a strong influence on man’s decisions can be seen in the poem, “Love is not all” by Edna St. Vincent Millay. The most prominent theme presented in “Love is not all” is that although love is not a necessity of life, it somehow manages to provoke such great desire and happiness that it becomes important. The poem begins with a negative view of love, “Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain;” she compares it to essential items such as food, sleep, and shelter (Millay lines 1-2). Millay questions the validity of love, and its purpose and place in life. If something is not needed, is it important? At this point in the poem, it is very clear that Millay does not feel love as being essential to her life. She even states that love is not a floating spar; it will not help drowning men nor help anyone survive, because it is just an emotion. This theme that love cannot save you from …show more content…

She created a negative connotation of love and its importance in the beginning of the poem, but gradually transitioned to uncertainty allowing the reader to make his or her own decision on the subject. Is love more important than food or shelter, or health? Millay definitely does not answer this question, but in a sense it was not supposed to be answered. Love is as important as one wants it to be. This prominent idea that love is not a necessity of life, but it somehow manages to provoke such great desire and happiness, that it becomes important is the theme of the poem. It is an engaging and thought provoking poem that allows the reader to also examine him or herself, while Millay promotes a direct theme with

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