Millay Vs Cummings Essay, Research Paper

Millay vs Cummings

“Lament” by Edna St. Vincent Millay and “Since Felling Is First by e.e. Cummings

are two very different poems. The poems are diiferent in style and tone.

In Millay’s poem “Lament” the theme is dealing with death an ho we must act in

order to accept it. In “since Feeling Is First, Cumming’s theme is just the

opposite. Cummings is saying we should enjoy life by acting like a fool and not

talin things seriously.

Millay stresses the unimportance of feelin. “life must go on,/ And the dead by

forgotten” (15-16). Cummmings attitude is totally different. He believes that

feelings are very important. Cummings streeses that being foolish is better

than being smart and serious: “and kisses are better fate/ than wisdom.”(8-9)

Millay uses simple language, where as cummings uses more complete language. In

“Lament,” Millay stresses her point by usingan unusual style of writing.

The tone in “lament” is very somber. Millay is writing about the death of a

woman’s husband and how the wife feels that “Life must go on”. (21) although she

has forgotton just why. The wife is trying to forget about her husbands death:

“and the dead be forgottne” (16). The tone of (since feeling is first” is a

happy tone. A man is telling his girlfriend to enjoy life and stop being so

serious.