2
0
About Author
Edna St. Vincent Millay was an American lyrical poet and playwright. Millay was a renowned social figure and noted feminist in New York City during the Roaring Twenties and beyond. She wrote much of her prose and hackwork verse under the pseudonym Nancy Boyd.
Born: February 22, 1892, Rockland , Maine, United States
Died: October 19, 1950, Austerlitz, New York, United States
Spouse: Eugen Jan Boissevain (m. 1923–1949)
Parents: Cora Lounella, Henry Tollman Millay
Siblings: Norma Millay, Kathleen Millay
Alma mater: Vassar College
Summary
The poem ‘Sonnet’ was composed by a feminist and women rights activist Edna St. Vincent Millay. This poem presents cultural and intellectual domination and discrimination between the husband and the wife in a male-dominated society. The speaker of the poem expresses her dissatisfaction and anger to the dominating behaviour of her husband The husband of the speaker does not want her to read books, instead he wants to be kissed by her because he feels that women are not as capable as men. The speaker feels dominated by him and can’t discriminate between a friend and an enemy. The husband tells her that a book cannot be read by her small head. The speaker tells him to see her newest hat. She also tells that he will watch her when she gets clad in beautiful dresses. And she loves him and does not want to tell anything more. In addition, she mentions him that she will be sweet, crafty and sly, and she will not read any books. She will be only his wife, not more than this. She also adds that she will never be bright and stormy. But someday when he knocks at the door, she will have already left the room, and he only see her going away, and he can only whistle at her.
In this way, this poem presents some feels, dissatisfactions and anger of the wife, when she is not well-treated considering her dignity in her married life.
साराशं नेपालीमा
प्रस्तुत कवितामा पुरुषप्रधान समाजमा महिलाहरूलाई उनीहरूका श्रीमानहरूले गरेको व्यवहारवाट असन्तुष्ट र रुष्ट भएका महिलाहरूको अनुभूतिलाई देखाउन खोजिएको छ । प्रस्तुत कवितामा श्रीमानले उनलाई पुस्तक पढ्ने गरेको देखेर नराम्रो मान्छन्, किनकी उनी श्रीमतीबाट चुम्बन गरियोस् भन्ने चाहन्छन् । श्रीमानले श्रीमतीलाई आफ्नो पुस्तक फिर्ता माग्छन, किनकी श्रीमतीको दिमागले त्यो पुस्तक बुझ्दैन भन्ने उनलाई लागेको हुनुपर्छ । श्रीमान्ले श्रीमतीलाई राम्रा कपडा लगाएर बसेको हेर्न चाहन्छ । पुस्तक पढेको कुरा श्रीमानलाई मन नपरेपछि अब केही नभन्ने तर सुमधुर, सिपालु, नम्र तर धुर्त बन्नेछु भनी उनी आफ्ना कुराहरू राख्छिन् । तर अब उनले कुनै पुस्तकहरू पढ्ने छैनिन उनी श्रीमतीभन्दा अरू केही पनि बन्ने छैनन् । उनी कहिल्यै उज्यालो र तुफानी हुने छैनन् तर कुनै दिन श्रीमान् घरमा आएर ढोका खोल्दा उनी उसको घर छोडेर हिँडिसकेकी हुन सक्छिन्, जतिबेला उसले सुस्केरा हाल्न मात्र सक्छ ।
यसरी प्रस्तुत कविताले पुरुषको व्यवहारबाट दिक्क भएका र स्वतन्त्र नभएका श्रीमतीहरूको मनोवैज्ञानिक पक्षलाई प्रस्तुत गरेको छ ।
Answer the following questions.
a) Is this poem a sonnet? Give evidences in support of your answer.
= Yes, this poem is a sonnet on the basis of its features. For example, it has fourteen lines and also has a rhythmic pattern.
b) Who is the poet addressing to? Why is she angry ?
= The speaker of the poem is addressing her husband. She is angry with him because he feels that she has been dominated, controlled and insulted by him.
c) What does the poet say she will do now that she has been criticized for reading difficult books?
= The poet says that she will never read the book but she performs the job of a pure housewife. She is also asked to kiss her husband. Therefore, she will not give him a chance to criticize her.
d) Would you agree that it’s a kind of protest poetry? Elucidate.
= Yes, this sonnet seems to be a kind of protest poem because the speaker seems to be willing to challenge the century, old bad traditions that discriminate between men and women.
e) Give a suitable title to the poem.
= A suitable title to the poem would be:
Male domination
Discrimination,
Women Violence etc.
Average Rating