I avoid the looming visitor,Flee him adroitly around corners,Hating him, wishing him well;Lest if he confront me I be forced to say what is in no wise true:That he is welcome; that I am unoccupied;And forced to sit while the potted roses wilt in the crate or the sonnet coolsBending a respectful nose above such dried philosophiesAs have hung in wreaths from the rafters of my house since I was a child.Some trace of kindliness in this, no doubt,There may be.But not enough to keep a bird alive.There is a flaw amounting to a fissureIn such behaviour.

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About Edna St. Vincent Millay

Edna St. Vincent Millay was a 19th-century American poet. Edna St. Vincent Millay was an American lyrical poet and playwright. Read more on Wikipedia →

Themes

  • Poetry — The art of language, rhythm, and emotional expression

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