Comparison of Themes Shown in Poetry

Throughout the many types of writing genres, poetry is one that truly allows a writer/poet to serve a purpose and capture the essence of emotions that flood their mind. This writing enables them to take meaningful thoughts from within and express the end product on paper with us as an audience. “If I Should Learn, in Some Quite Casual Way” written by Edna St. Vincent Millay and “Mementos, I” written by William De Witt Snodgrass are two poems that display the common theme of loss through the use of various literary techniques/ strategies.

After reading her untraditional love sonnet, “If I Should Learn, in Some Quite Casual Way”, I was curious as to why Millay would not put forth a more emotion filled reaction to the death of her lover. This would normally be seen as something heartbreaking and would take a great tole one’s emotions. Then I realized that her physical composure was her way of bearing with the news without giving into the feelings that she was overwhelmed by. Millay’s use of tone is somewhat discreet and calm in order to show how she would handle the loss of a loved one. Her discretion is emphasized in the line “I should not cry aloud---I could not cry… in such a place” (9-10). One could assume that discovering this type of news would be rather shocking especially in such a common and casual location such as a subway station. The pause in the line emphasizes the emotions she is feeling such as being cautious and being faced with denial.

Millay portrays her casual and alternative reaction to her lover’s death through the use of repetition. There are three places throughout the poem where she uses the phrase “I should”. This shows how she would control her behavior in contrast to other women who would be expected to break down emotionally. She hopes that during a time of this terrible tragedy she can keep herself together long enough to not break down in front of strangers. “I should but watch the station lights rush by” (11). This phrase reflects on the experience of grieving in a different way where Millay would pay close attention to something like station lights in order to distract herself from her true feelings. Millay’s vivid use of imagery provides readers with more of an impact when reading about her experience.” Where to store furs and how to treat the hair” (14). It allows me to envision her reading advertisements in the back of a newspaper following her lover’s death. After the experience of a loss there are societal norms and expectations of a woman in regards to emotional and physical presentation. In the end Millay’s writing met her agenda by showing how she would make a movement and go against these expectations in order to react in a way that is most suitable for her.

The poem “Mementos, I” approaches the theme of loss through Snodgrass’s recollection of a lost love. I was moved by the poem because I realized from my own personal experiences that when a loved one is no longer in your life it is the memories of them that you tend to live off of. I do believe that Snodgrass met his agenda to present his audience with a meaningful stroll down memory lane. Snodgrass’s use of diction gives an emphasized meaning toward the feelings he once had for his ex-wife. The first example I came across was the poem itself, “Mementos I”. A memento is an object that one keeps to be reminded of a person or an event that took place. Snodgrass referring to these