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Renascence

Edna St. Vincent Millay, 1892 – 1950

All I could see from !ere I stood"as t!ree lon# mountains and a ood$I turned and loo%ed anot!er ay,

And sa t!ree islands in a &ay.So it! my eyes I traced t!e line'f t!e !ori(on, t!in and )ne,Strai#!t around till I as come*ac% to !ere I+d started from$And all I sa from !ere I stood"as t!ree lon# mountains and a ood.

'er t!ese t!in#s I could not see$ -!ese ere t!e t!in#s t!at &ounded me$And I could touc! t!em it! my !and,Almost, I t!ou#!t, from !ere I stand.

And all at once t!in#s seemed so smallMy &reat! came s!ort, and scarce at all.

*ut, sure, t!e s%y is &i#, I said$Miles and miles a&oe my !ead$So !ere uon my &ac% I+ll lieAnd loo% my )ll into t!e s%y.And so I loo%ed, and, after all,

 -!e s%y as not so ery tall. -!e s%y, I said, must some!ere sto,And // sure enou#! // I see t!e to

 -!e s%y, I t!ou#!t, is not so #rand$I most could touc! it it! my !andAnd reac!in# u my !and to try,I screamed to feel it touc! t!e s%y.

I screamed, and // lo // In)nityame don and settled oer me$3orced &ac% my scream into my c!est,*ent &ac% my arm uon my &reast,And, ressin# of t!e 4nde)ned

 -!e de)nition on my mind,eld u &efore my eyes a #lass

 -!rou#! !ic! my s!rin%in# si#!t did ass4ntil it seemed I must &e!oldImmensity made manifold$"!isered to me a ord !ose sound6eafened t!e air for orlds around,And &rou#!t unmu7ed to my ears

 -!e #ossiin# of friendly s!eres, -!e crea%in# of t!e tented s%y, -!e tic%in# of Eternity.

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I sa and !eard, and %ne at last -!e o and "!y of all t!in#s, ast,And resent, and foreermore.

 -!e 4nierse, cleft to t!e core,ay oen to my ro&in# sense

 -!at, sic%+nin#, I ould fain luc% t!ence*ut could not, // nay *ut needs must suc%At t!e #reat ound, and could not luc%My lis aay till I !ad dranAll enom out. // A!, fearful an3or my omniscience aid I tollIn in)nite remorse of soul.

All sin as of my sinnin#, allAtonin# mine, and mine t!e #all'f all re#ret. Mine as t!e ei#!t'f eery &rooded ron#, t!e !ate

 -!at stood &e!ind eac! enious t!rust,Mine eery #reed, mine eery lust.

And all t!e !ile for eery #rief,Eac! suerin#, I craed relief "it! indiidual desire, //raed all in ain And felt )erce )reA&out a t!ousand eole cral$:eris!ed it! eac!, // t!en mourned for all

A man as starin# in ari$e moed !is eyes and loo%ed at me$

I felt !is #a(e, I !eard !is moan,And %ne !is !un#er as my on.I sa at sea a #reat fo# &an%*eteen to s!is t!at struc% and san%$A t!ousand screams t!e !eaens smote$And eery scream tore t!rou#! my t!roat.

;o !urt I did not feel, no deat! -!at as not mine$ mine eac! last &reat! -!at, cryin#, met an anserin# cry3rom t!e comassion t!at as I.All suerin# mine, and mine its rod$Mine, ity li%e t!e ity of <od.

A!, aful ei#!t In)nity:ressed don uon t!e )nite MeMy an#uis!ed sirit, li%e a &ird,*eatin# a#ainst my lis I !eard$

 =et lay t!e ei#!t so close a&out -!ere as no room for it it!out.

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And so &eneat! t!e ei#!t lay IAnd suered deat!, &ut could not die.

on# !ad I lain t!us, crain# deat!,"!en >uietly t!e eart! &eneat!<ae ay, and inc! &y inc!, so #reat

At last !ad #ron t!e crus!in# ei#!t,Into t!e eart! I san% till I3ull si? feet under #round did lie,And san% no more, // t!ere is no ei#!tan follo !ere, !oeer #reat.3rom o my &reast I felt it roll,And as it ent my tortured soul*urst fort! and @ed in suc! a #ust

 -!at all a&out me sirled t!e dust.

6ee in t!e eart! I rested no$ool is its !and uon t!e &ro

And soft its &reast &eneat! t!e !ead'f one !o is so #ladly dead.And all at once, and oer all

 -!e ityin# rain &e#an to fall$I lay and !eard eac! atterin# !oof 4on my loly, t!atc!ed roof,And seemed to loe t!e sound far more

 -!an eer I !ad done &efore.3or rain it !at! a friendly sound

 -o one !o+s si? feet under#round$And scarce t!e friendly oice or faceA #rae is suc! a >uiet lace.

 -!e rain, I said, is %ind to comeAnd sea% to me in my ne !ome.I ould I ere alie a#ain

 -o %iss t!e )n#ers of t!e rain, -o drin% into my eyes t!e s!ine'f eery slantin# siler line,

 -o catc! t!e fres!ened, fra#rant &ree(e3rom drenc!ed and driin# ale/trees.3or soon t!e s!oer ill &e done,And t!en t!e &road face of t!e sun"ill lau#! a&oe t!e rain/soa%ed eart!4ntil t!e orld it! anserin# mirt!S!a%es Boyously, and eac! round droColls, tin%lin#, from its #rass/&lade to.

o can I &ear it$ &uried !ere,"!ile oer!ead t!e s%y #ros clearAnd &lue a#ain after t!e stormD', multi/colored, multiform,

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*eloed &eauty oer me, -!at I s!all neer, neer seeA#ain Srin#/siler, autumn/#old,

 -!at I s!all neer more &e!oldSleein# your myriad ma#ics t!rou#!,lose/seulc!red aay from you

' <od, I cried, #ie me ne &irt!,And ut me &ac% uon t!e eart!4set eac! cloud+s #i#antic #ourdAnd let t!e !eay rain, don/ouredIn one &i# torrent, set me free,"as!in# my #rae aay from me

I ceased$ and t!rou#! t!e &reat!less !us! -!at ansered me, t!e far/o rus!'f !erald in#s came !iserin#i%e music don t!e i&rant strin#'f my ascendin# rayer, and // cras!

*efore t!e ild ind+s !istlin# las! -!e startled storm/clouds reared on !i#!And lun#ed in terror don t!e s%y,And t!e &i# rain in one &lac% ae3ell from t!e s%y and struc% my #rae.

I %no not !o suc! t!in#s can &e$I only %no t!ere came to meA fra#rance suc! as neer clin#s

 -o au#!t sae !ay liin# t!in#s$A sound as of some Boyous elf Sin#in# seet son#s to lease !imself,

And, t!rou#! and oer eeryt!in#,A sense of #lad aa%enin#.

 -!e #rass, a/titoe at my ear,"!iserin# to me I could !ear$I felt t!e rain+s cool )n#er/tis*rus!ed tenderly across my lis,aid #ently on my sealed si#!t,And all at once t!e !eay ni#!t3ell from my eyes and I could see, //A drenc!ed and driin# ale/tree,A last lon# line of siler rain,A s%y #ron clear and &lue a#ain.And as I loo%ed a >uic%enin# #ust'f ind &le u to me and t!rustInto my face a miracle'f orc!ard/&reat!, and it! t!e smell, //I %no not !o suc! t!in#s can &e //I &reat!ed my soul &ac% into me.

A! 4 t!en from t!e #round sran# I

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And !ailed t!e eart! it! suc! a cryAs is not !eard sae from a man"!o !as &een dead, and lies a#ain.A&out t!e trees my arms I ound$

i%e one #one mad I !u##ed t!e #round$

I raised my >uierin# arms on !i#!$I lau#!ed and lau#!ed into t!e s%y,

 -ill at my t!roat a stran#lin# so&au#!t )ercely, and a #reat !eart/t!ro&Sent instant tears into my eyes$' <od, I cried, no dar% dis#uisean e+er !ereafter !ide from me

 -!y radiant identity

 -!ou canst not moe across t!e #rass*ut my >uic% eyes ill see -!ee ass,;or sea%, !oeer silently,

*ut my !us!ed oice ill anser -!ee.I %no t!e at! t!at tells -!y ay

 -!rou#! t!e cool ee of eery day$<od, I can us! t!e #rass aartAnd lay my )n#er on -!y !eart

 -!e orld stands out on eit!er side;o ider t!an t!e !eart is ide$A&oe t!e orld is stretc!ed t!e s%y, //;o !i#!er t!an t!e soul is !i#!.

 -!e !eart can us! t!e sea and land3art!er aay on eit!er !and$

 -!e soul can slit t!e s%y in to,And let t!e face of <od s!ine t!rou#!.*ut East and "est ill inc! t!e !eart

 -!at can not %ee t!em us!ed aart$And !e !ose soul is @at // t!e s%y"ill cae in on !im &y and &y.