I Being Born A Woman And Distressed Analysis

The poem "I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed" written by Edna St. Vincent encompasses many different tones throughout the poem. It explores the mind of a woman who is broken hearted over a fading lover. One of the prevailing tones in the poem shows the poet's confusion about the way society forces women to be dependent on men. The tone of this poem can be broken up into several parts. Edna St. Vincent Millay was an openly bisexual woman who often wrote poetry "that described free, guiltless sexuality. . ."(Norton Anthology) during her time. Millay married a self-proclaimed feminist named Eugen Boissevain. Throughout their twenty-six-year marriage, they kept it “sexually open” and had no children. Millay was a role model to the outcasts of her time. Not only was she a proud feminist involved with other protests such as writing anti-fascist works, but she was a walking contradiction to the “standard living” of her time, and she was not afraid to show it. In the early nineteenth century, there was controversy over whether women should be granted certain privileges, such as voting in America. Her aforementioned poem speaks to what it was like to be a woman in the 20th century. It was written in 1923, only three years after the Nineteenth Amendment, granting

“Am urged by your propinquity…” (line 3, p828) is an example of her expression of love/lust. Although she is saying that she is overwhelmed with love/lust while he is near, she is conflicted with herself, because it is also what she is against. She is aware of the fact that if she falls for this man, she will eventually succumb to him or be under his control, which goes against her feminist beliefs. Due to this, she is in a battle with herself between her feelings and her beliefs. This confusion is portrayed in the line “cloud the mind” (line 7, p828) as if she can no longer think