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Analysis of First Fig
Analysis of First Fig
The poem is a beautifully short exploration of Millay’s personal life and when reading
with knowledge of her early death in 1950, feels quite prophetic.
One of the reasons that this poem has become so popular is due to its vagueness. The
“candle,” which is clearly the most important symbol in the poem, is not well defined.
Readers can interpret it any way they choose depending on their own life
experiences.
Lines 3-4
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends–
(…)
In the third line she asks for the attention of her “foes” and her “friends,” a good
example of alliteration. It should also be noted that she addresses her “foes” first. Her
words are strong, determined, and don’t sound at all like someone who’s about to burn
out. The third line is also an example of an apostrophe. This is a literary device in
which the speaker addresses someone, or multiple people or things which either can’t
understand her or aren’t actually present.
Despite the fact that the candle is soon to be extinguished Millay asks friends and foes
to note how bright it shines. Its light is lovely. This makes it seem as though burning
her candle at both ends has been worth it. She’s going to go out in a blaze of light.