Loving You Less Than Life, A Little Less

"Loving You Less Than Life, A Little Less"

Edna St. Vincent Millay

Loving you less than life, a little less

Than bitter-sweet upon a broken wall

Or bush-wood smoke in autumn, I confess

I cannot swear I love you not at all.

For there is that about you in this light--

A yellow darkness, sinister of rain--

Which sturdily recalls my stubborn sight

To dwell on you, and dwell on you again.

And I am made aware of many a week

I shall consume, remembering in what way

Your brown hair grows about your brow and cheek,

And what divine absurdities you say:

Till all the world, and I, and surely you,

Will know I love you, whether or not I do.

Type of Sonnet: Petrarchan

Modifications: Standard - iambic pentameter alternates between stressed and unstressed syllables and each line is ten syllables. 

Form: Follows standard Petrarchan sonnet formula in which there is an octave, then the turn/shift in the sonnet, and then a sestet. 

Meaning/Why Chosen: The meaning of this poem, in other words, is Edna St. Vincent Millay speaking to her lover and saying "you know what, I may love you a little." She uses clever syntax in which she twists her words, particularly the line "I cannot swear I love you not at all", which if not read carefully could be misunderstood. In fact, that line amongst others needs to be re-read several times in order to understand what Millay is actually trying to convey. This sense of confusion she has created in her poem reflects the theme of her piece. The entire poem is addressed to a lover and consists of Millay attempting to relay her feelings for her lover. However, because she is so unwilling to make straightforward statements about her feelings, she captures just how un-precise her feelings are in actuality. Or perhaps, her circuitous statements are a result of her desire for them not to be as straightforward as they are. I chose this poem because I relate to Millay because I always find myself dodging statements and questions and anything confrontational, as a matter of fact, And just like Millay, I sometimes struggle between expressing un-precise feelings and dodging precise feelings.