Given that the publication of this poem followed hot on the heals of the successful movement for women's suffrage in the United States, it's obvious that Millay's I, Being a Woman Born would be a major divergence from the sonnets of earlier periods. While the basic sonnet format is relatively intact (14 lines, rhyme scheme, etc.), the content and ultimate message of the poem is a radical divergence, comparable to Shakespeare's sonnets of the dark lady. Like those nearly 400 years earlier, the tone of the poem uses the traditional conventions of the Petrarchan Sonnet to produce an overall cynical view of love.
In the first stanza, the tone and diction used by the speaker is specifically designed to play into the traditional view of women as submissive and prone to passionate outbursts; she rushes into the arms of her lover in a none-too-subtle reference to sex (To bear your body's weight upon my breast). However, by the beginning of the second verse, we already see the creeping cynicism brought on my changing views of biology and religion. Rather than a spiritual connection, her view is love is very much dominated by the idea of it as a series of biological urges and impulses. (Of my stout blood against my staggering brain). In the final lines of the poem, the final traditional convention is overturned; that is, the love described was nothing more than a one night stand, an extremely impersonal affair, and ultimately one where emotions such as love or affection have no part. In addition, it is made clear that the speaker is the one in charge in the aftermath of the encounter, and that the act was nothing more than a result of her impulses.
More than a subversion of the traditional aspects of the sonnet, this poem represents a dramatic shift in the ways in which women viewed themselves, sex, and their relationship to society,
I am persuaded by your argument that “this poem represents a dramatic shift in the ways in which women viewed themselves, sex, and their relationship to society” and that this shift is depicted through the Millay’s diction. Further, I think that your argument is backed up by the ways in which Millay manipulates rhythm in the poem. She switches from iamb to trochee in the ninth line with the word “treason.” The emphasis on this word underscores how this “dramatic shift” betrayed traditional values (and how traditional values betrayed women!). This switch is corresponds to the turn in Petrarchan sonnets and to the shift in tone in stanza two that you noted in your post.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think this poem is definitely a jab at traditional Petrarch sonnets, not just through the metrical manipulation and format manipulation, but also through the theme manipulation. It kind of reminds me of how Shakespeare and Spenser would manipulate their sonnets to parody Petrach's and explore the themes they deemed important. It emphasizes the difference between physical and romantic attraction, putting more emphasis on the former than the latter, as if the latter means nothing to the speaker.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like we have reached a snag, though I am curious what to do with it. What this post and additional comments make aware is that, yes, this poem seems to use the skeleton of a Petrarchan sonnet however the body of the poem contrasts the traditional themes a Petrarchan sonnet would normally discuss. But what are the implications? What does turning a traditional form into a gimmick for her own interests do? As Alex has pointed out "this poem followed hot on the heals of the successful movement for women's suffrage in the United States," so I wondering what sort of affect this poem might of had considering the tumultuous time period. Was this poem just a contributing voice of support to the poem or does it unveil alternative/additional insights to the then contemporary situation of sex and society. She does detail sex as has having the capacity to strictly be insisted by biological desire to fulfill a purpose. Generally it is thought that it is the man that objectifies sex, pursuing one night stands in the name of appealing the immediate senses. But what about a woman objectifying sex and the act, boiling it down to a similar set of primal desire?
ReplyDeleteYou know, in re-reading your analysis for this paper, I realized why this poem sounded so familar to me in theme. Has anyone else here heard Carole King's "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"? It's VERY similar in that it was one of the first pieces in that time period to discuss women and sex, especially no-strings-attaches sex. The final lines that you pointed out are what really connected the two for me. I'll post some of the lyrics here:
ReplyDelete"Tonight you're mine completely
You give your love so sweetly
Tonight the light of love is in your eyes
But will you love me tomorrow
Is this a lasting treasure
Or just a moment's pleasure
Can I believe the magic of your sighs
Will you still love me tomorrow
Tonight with words unspoken
You say that I'm the only one
But will my heart be broken
When the night meets the morning sun
I'd like to know that your love
Is love I can be sure of
So tell me now and I won't ask again
Will you still love me tomorrow"