Edna St. Vincent Millay wrote two short poems, “First Fig” and “Second Fig,” which are both often quoted as was the case of “First Fig” by Heath Ledger’s father on the death of his son.
First Fig
My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends-
It gives a lovely light.
The poem is little more than applying a cliche to the carpe diem theme. Most interesting is the speaker’s addressing both her foes and her friends. Why must her enemies know of the frenetic but exhilarating “lovely light,” her life’s burning up? So that they will envy her, living well being the most delicious revenge.
What about her friends? They have played a part in her passion play, and she tells them that it’s okay – that a short but sweet life has been “lovely.” No regrets.
Somewhere along the way emotional and psychological “burnout” has become fashionable – even sought after. The brief, spent, wasted lives of celebrities are romanticized. Audiences, friends and foes, can’t get their fill of the “lovely life.” Millay knew this having lived allegedly as a promiscuous bisexual in an era when such behaviors were kept private. Two lengthy biographies of the poet, born in 1892, were published a couple of years ago.
Also from her A Few Figs From Thistles (1922) collection is “Second Fig,” a darker poem taking its imagery from an allusion to Jesus’ parable of the wise man who, able to plan ahead and arm himself against trouble, builds his “house” or life on a solid foundation, the rock. He is contrasted to the foolish man, who builds upon the infirm, shifting sand.
Here’s Millay’s take”
Safe upon the solid rock the ugly houses stand:
Come and see my shining palace built upon the sand!
The speaker is clearly familiar with and even understands the parable’s lesson, but shuns it in favor of the flash of her “shining palace” while fully knowing its instability and hence its danger. And as in First Fig, she involves others: “Come and see,” she beckons. This is the darker side of the carpe diem philosophy.
5 responses so far ↓
Terry Finley // April 10, 2008 at 8:53 pm |
Come and see: a nice philosophy of life.
paisleyandplaid // April 11, 2008 at 8:01 am |
That would depend on what we will be viewing. In a traditional Western view, we would anticipate something good and pleasing — a nice philosophy of life. In the Fig context, it’s something to be wary of.
HollyDae // December 10, 2008 at 10:00 pm |
I don’t think you can call a phrase cliche when that person created it. To burn a candle at both ends was Millay’s saying not the cliche it has become.
Syed Zubair // March 4, 2009 at 8:49 pm |
This is what I initailly wrote
when I posted this poem on my
http://unforgettable-stories.
blogspot.com/
I have yet to see a more emotive and touching use of the two interjections of ah and oh in a poetic context.
In a dictionary there is not much difference in their meanings but the manner in which they have been used here they come over with completely different nuances. These are perhaps the limits beyond which Epicureanism cannot be taken and where pain and pleasure become so intertwined that they lose their separateness.
I am living a more than full life that will cut short the natural span of my being but ah my enemies you have no reason to delight in it and oh my friends do not be sorry for me. Look at the lovely light that I am shedding around me for it is a source of envy for my foes and an occasion to delight for my well-wishers.
Then I added this:
Although in the comment above I have interpreted ‘But ah, my foes’ in realtion to envy but obviously my subconscious self was less than happy with it and in a half awake state in my bed I kept on thinking about it and the more I thought I felt that the ’source of envy’ was not an appropriate and adequate expression to describe it for it negates the inherent joy and compassion which envelopes these verses. Perhaps a better commentary would be:
Ah my detractors, true that I have lived an unorganised and unruly life which has earned me your disapprobation and reproof but you look at the lovely light I have radiated all around me.
Paper Thin Personas » Blog Archive » Two Pretty Dresses and Figs // April 2, 2009 at 2:48 am |
[...] don’t entirely agree with the interpretation by Paisley and Plaid, but it’s certainly well written. I like her views on Second Fig more then I like her views on [...]