Theme Of Love Is Not All

Love has been the cause of some of the greatest feats, discoveries, and battles in the history of man. It has driven men to insanity and despair, while it has lead others to happiness and bliss. This idea that love has a strong influence on man’s decisions can be seen in the poem, Love is not all by Edna St. Vincent Millay. The most prominent theme presented in Love is not all is that although love is not a necessity of life, it somehow manages to provoke such great desire and happiness that it becomes important. The poem begins with a negative view of love by comparing it to essential items such as food, sleep, and shelter. Millay questions the validity of love, and its purpose and place in life. If something is not needed, is it important?

Confused, she says that people are dying, because of the lack of love even though it is worthless. This represents the turning point of the poem from an attack on love’s importance to the examination of the effect love has on people’s life. An emotion so influential and powerful in its ability to affect the mind, but it is seemingly so useless in its purpose; it somehow provokes such an intense desire to acquire it, to the point of death. Millay is clearly at a disposition. These two lines foreshadow the final idea of the

She created a negative connotation of love and its importance in the beginning of the poem, but gradually transitioned to uncertainty allowing the reader to make his or her own decision on the subject. It is a very engaging and provoking poem that allows the reader to also examine him or herself, while Millay promotes a direct theme with uncertainty. The most prominent theme presented in Love is not all is that although love is not a necessity of life, it somehow manages to provoke such great desire and happiness, that it becomes