Unpacking the Themes of Sexuality and Desire in Edna St Vincent Millay's 'I, Being born a Woman and Distressed' (1923)

Edna St Vincent Millay's 'I, Being born a Woman and Distressed' is a powerful exploration of female sexuality and desire. While the poem appears short and straightforward, it is brimming with complexity and invites thought-provoking discussions. In this article, we will delve into the context and themes of this compelling work.

The Context of the Poem

To truly grasp the significance of 'I, Being born a Woman and Distressed', it is essential to understand the background of the author, Edna St Vincent Millay. She was a renowned poet of the 20th century, acclaimed for her mastery of the sonnet - a traditional literary form that she chose to perfect at a time when modernists were experimenting with new styles. Through her poetry, Millay fearlessly expressed her experiences as a woman and a feminist, exploring themes of gender and sexuality without apology.

In 1923, Millay reached the peak of her popularity when she won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her collection, 'The Harp-Weaver and Other Poems', which included 'I, Being born a Woman and Distressed'. Despite her talent, beauty, and unconventional lifestyle, she was often dismissed by critics for adhering to traditional poetic forms and openly addressing the sexuality of women, deemed by some to be trivial. This may explain why she is not studied alongside other great female poets of the time, such as H.D., Marianne Moore, Gertrude Stein, and Mina Loy, who were known for their experimental, modernist styles.

The Social and Historical Context

In addition to the personal background of the author, it is crucial to consider the social and historical context of the poem. Edna St Vincent Millay has been hailed as an icon of the 'New Woman' - a term used to describe women who challenged traditional gender roles and Victorian ideals between 1890 and 1920. These women sought independence and freedom in various aspects of their lives, including finances, society, and sexuality. It is worth noting that the term 'New Woman' encompasses a range of identities, highlighting the diverse ways in which women defied societal norms during this period.

'I, Being born a Woman and Distressed' is set in the 1920s, a time of economic prosperity and significant social and cultural changes. In 1920, women were granted the right to vote through the 19th Amendment in the United States, symbolizing their recognition as individuals with their own rights. With this newfound freedom, many women moved to urban centers to pursue careers and enjoy the exciting nightlife. This also sparked a change in fashion and attitudes towards romantic and sexual relationships, with a decrease in the emphasis on marriage as the ultimate goal.

The Poem: 'I, Being born a Woman and Distressed'

Now, let us delve into the poem itself:

1 I, being born a woman and distressed
2 By all the needs and notions of my kind,
3 Am urged by your propinquity to find
4 Your person fair, and feel a certain zest
5 To bear your body's weight upon my breast:
6 So subtly is the fume of life designed,
7 To clarify the pulse and cloud the mind,
8 And leave me once again undone, possessed.
9 Think not for this, however, the poor treason
10 Of my stout blood against my staggering brain,
11 I shall remember you with love, or season
12 My scorn with pity,—let me make it plain:
13 I find this frenzy insufficient reason
14 For conversation when we meet again."

'I, Being born a Woman and Distressed' is a thought-provoking exploration of female desire, following the speaker's internal struggle with her attraction to a man. The poem challenges traditional expectations of a sonnet, using irony to deride societal norms and expectations placed on women.

The Meaning Behind the Poem

On the surface, 'I, Being born a Woman and Distressed' may seem like a simple poem about lust and desire. However, upon closer examination, it reveals a deeper message about the societal pressures and expectations placed on women and their sexuality. The speaker grapples with her natural desires and the expectations of society, struggling to find a balance between the two. This highlights the need for women to break free from societal norms and embrace their sexuality without shame or hesitation.

The Struggle of Female Desires in the Poem "I, Being born a Woman and Distressed"

Edna St. Vincent Millay's "I, Being born a Woman and Distressed" defies the conventional structure of a sonnet by presenting a raw and unapologetic declaration of lust and female sexuality.

While the central theme of the poem revolves around female desire, there is room for varying interpretations and discussions among readers. Some view the speaker's words with a hint of irony, using exaggerated language to mock the dramatic expressions often found in traditional sonnets. Others argue that the speaker's struggle with her desires is genuine and relatable.

One of the main points of debate is whether the struggle portrayed in the poem is internal or external. Is the speaker addressing her desires directly to the man she desires or is she having an inner dialogue with herself? And does her use of the word "undone" suggest that she acts upon her desires, or does she simply battle with them in her thoughts?

The poem also delves into the dynamics of power in relationships, as the speaker must rely on reason to control her physical urges. The tension between the mind and the body, or between lust and reason, is a recurring theme throughout the poem. The speaker asserts that one can control their actions through reasoning, despite not being able to control their feelings of attraction. This message goes against the romantic notion of passion overpowering reason in traditional love poems.

Moreover, the poem challenges societal norms and expectations surrounding female sexuality. During the time it was written, it was widely believed that women did not experience sexual desires in the same way as men, and that they could not separate love from lust. Millay boldly proclaims that women have their "own needs and notions", and should use reason to protect themselves from entering into relationships with the wrong partner.

The speaker's disdain towards the man she desires could also be seen as a response to any warning signs or red flags he may have exhibited, as she mentions feeling "scorn" for him without any explanation. Ultimately, the poem serves as a cautionary tale against acting on impulsive desires and advocates for the use of reason in navigating relationships.

Although Millay's poem deviates from the traditional structure of a sonnet, it remains a poignant and thought-provoking piece that challenges societal norms and celebrates female sexuality and agency.

Major Themes Explored:

• Female desire and sexuality
• The struggle between the mind and the body
• The power of reasoning in controlling one's actions
• Challenging societal attitudes towards female sexuality

Questions for Reflection:

• How prevalent are societal attitudes towards female sexuality in our current society?
• Is the speaker being ironic or genuine in her declarations of desire?
• Does the poem hold more power if it is spoken out loud to the man or to oneself?

The Form and Structure of "I, Being born a Woman and Distressed"

Aside from its themes, "I, Being born a Woman and Distressed" also offers insights into its form and structure.

The poem follows the traditional structure of a Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet, with fourteen lines divided into an octave (eight-line stanza) with a rhyme scheme of ABBA ABBA, followed by a sestet (six-line stanza) with a rhyme scheme of CDC DCD or CDE CDE. Typically, the octave presents a problem that is resolved in the sestet.

The Power of Subversion: Edna St Vincent Millay's "I, Being born a Woman and Distressed"

In "I, Being born a Woman and Distressed," Edna St Vincent Millay breaks away from the conventional structure of Petrarchan sonnets. She portrays a conflict between the speaker's body and mind, particularly the struggle between lust and reason. Through this subversion of the traditional form, Millay challenges the common confusion between love and lust found in sonnets, including Shakespeare's renowned "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"

The Choice of Sonnet Form

During Millay's time, sonnets were seen as outdated and primarily used by men to woo women. So why did Millay choose this form instead of a more modern one? It can be argued that she purposefully selected the sonnet form to carve out a space for herself as a female poet and subvert it from within. In her other sonnet, "I Will Put Chaos into Fourteen Lines" (Sonnet 168), she exerts control over "Chaos" with the strict rules and restrictions of the sonnet form. Similarly, in "I, Being born a Woman and Distressed," she could be using the sonnet form to control the chaos of lust.

Meter

Petrarchan sonnets typically follow iambic pentameter, a line of verse with five iambs (unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable) per line, creating a rhythmic pattern like "da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM." However, in "I, Being born a Woman and Distressed," Millay deviates from this pattern in two notable ways.

• First, she uses two spondees (a metric foot with two stressed syllables) in the first line, "I, being born a woman and distressed," emphasizing the speaker's self and setting a tone of self-assertion for the poem. This spondee is also accompanied by a caesura, creating a deliberate disruption of the traditional sonnet form.
• Second, she expands the lines in the sestet, adding an extra syllable in lines 9-11 and 13. This could symbolize the speaker's lust attempting to take over the poem but ultimately being subdued by her reason in the final rhyming lines (12 and 14). This deviation from the expected ten syllables per line adds to the overall impact of the poem.

Conclusion

Through her use of form and structure in "I, Being born a Woman and Distressed," Millay not only challenges the traditional sonnet and its portrayal of love but also highlights the struggle between the body and the mind within the speaker. This is further emphasized by deviations in meter, reinforcing the speaker's control over her physical desires.

Rhythm

The rhythm of a poem is often considered predictable, but in "I, Being born a Woman and Distressed," Millay deliberately disrupts it. She halts the rhythm in the first metrical foot with a caesura, a pause near the middle of a line of poetry.

The rhythm remains steady until it abruptly stops with the words "undone, possessed," signifying the speaker's momentary lapse into lust. The use of caesuras continues in the final sestet, creating a sense of relentlessness as the speaker asserts herself:

"Think not for this, however, the poor treason
I shall remember you with love, or season
My scorn with pity,—let me make it plain:"

This defensive tone is magnified by the caesuras, showcasing the speaker's firm determination in her words. She wants to make it abundantly clear that she does not love the addressee and has no romantic interest in him.

Rhyme

The poem follows a rigid rhyme scheme, with the typical Petrarchan sonnet pattern of ABBA ABBA, CDC DCD. This consistency of rhyme can be interpreted as a sign that the speaker always maintains a level of control throughout the poem, even as she is swept away by feelings of lust. It also adds to the ironic tone, as the words "zest," "distressed," and "breast" sound comical when placed together, rather than creating the romantic and sensual tone expected in a sonnet.

Exploring Poetic and Literary Devices

The Speaker

In "I, Being born a Woman and Distressed," Millay challenges traditional gender roles by making the woman the subject of desire, rather than the object. This inversion adds depth and complexity to the poem.

The Inner Conflict of Desire and Reason in 'I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed'

In 1923, Edna St. Vincent Millay penned the Petrarchan sonnet 'I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed,' which delves into the complexities of female sexuality and the struggle between physical desires and rational thoughts. The speaker's tone is characterized as anti-romantic, ironic, and assertive, while the poem's mood shifts from slightly humorous to overwhelming and eventually triumphant.

The Nonconformity of Diction in Millay's Sonnet

Unlike traditional sonnets that showcase romantic and endearing language to praise the object of desire, Millay's poem utilizes formal and detached language. The speaker's desires are portrayed as uncontrollable, and she expresses them using outdated and overly formal terms, such as "propinquity" to describe her attraction to the addressee.

The speaker's use of irony and understatement adds depth to her characterization and mocks the traditional expectations of women in romantic relationships. By rejecting the notion of pity, the speaker asserts her own power and challenges the traditional depiction of women in sonnets written by men.

The Prevalence of Bodily Imagery in the Poem

The theme of body vs. mind is prominent in 'I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed,' highlighted by the abundance of bodily imagery throughout the poem. Phrases like "bear your body's weight upon my breast," "clarify the pulse," and "undone, possessed" serve to emphasize the speaker's physical desires, challenging the traditional portrayal of the female body in sonnets by male poets.

The Use of Alliteration to Amplify Meaning

Millay employs alliteration throughout the poem to add emphasis and surprise to certain words and phrases. The repeated use of plosive alliteration, with sounds like "p" and "b," amplifies the speaker's experience of lust and adds a sense of urgency to her desires.

The Importance of 'I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed' in Literature

'I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed' is a powerful literary piece that challenges traditional gender roles and explores themes of female empowerment and desire. Written during a time when women were gaining new freedoms and asserting their independence, Millay's poem continues to inspire discussions on gender and sexuality. The use of poetic and literary devices, such as caesuras, rhyme, diction, imagery, and alliteration, adds depth and complexity to the poem, making it a timeless contribution to feminist literature.

Exploring Gender and Sexuality in "I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed"

In an astonishing display of introspection, the poem "I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed" challenges societal norms and delves into the complexities of gender, sexuality, and human psychology.

The piece, written by American poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, presents a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of these themes. With bold and unapologetic language, Millay defies traditional notions and invites readers to reconsider their understanding of femininity and the human experience.

Through the speaker's strong and confident voice, the poem challenges the male-dominated society in which it was written. It presents a raw and honest perspective on the struggles and contradictions of being a woman in a world that often oppresses and objectifies them.

The poem's title alone sets the stage for the discussion of gender and sexuality. By linking the speaker's femininity with the word "distressed," Millay sets the tone for a candid and unfiltered exploration of the female experience.

Throughout the poem, Millay cleverly and intentionally blurs the lines between femininity and masculinity. The speaker defies societal expectations by embracing traits that are typically associated with the opposite gender, challenging traditional gender roles and stereotypes.

Furthermore, the poem delves into the complexities of sexuality and the inner struggle of the human psyche. The speaker's desire to be loved, accepted, and understood is evident, but her non-conformity to societal norms makes her an outsider in a world that struggles to accept anything outside of the norm.

Ultimately, "I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that challenges readers to question their understanding of gender, sexuality, and the human experience. Through its stark and unapologetic presentation, Millay's work continues to resonate and inspire discussions about these important issues.