Symbolism In Edna St. Vincent Millay's Carpe Diem

Edna St. Vincent Millay uses symbolism to convey the theme of Carpe Diem or “seize the day” by living differently to stand out from the crowd or what’s considered normal to make an impact on those around you. For instance, in the poem First Fig, the first stanza “my candle burns at both ends” symbolizes how Edna lived differently in her life. For instance, is her sexuality toward men and women, which was not considered normal in her time, just like how a candle burning at two ends is different from a regular, common candle. Stanza two states that the candle “will not last the night.” This stanza conveys how her unlike nature was criticized or not acceptable to others, indicating how her light won’t last the night. “but ah, my foes, and oh,
my friends – “ is quoted in stanza 3 to demonstrate them as her audience by the support of the caesura or the people around her, which would be explained in stanza 4 which says “it gives a lovely light.” With the 3rd stanza and the last, the lovely light signifies how her 2-light sided “candle” made more of an impact on her foes or friends, or as should say, the people around Edna. It similarly compares to how her candle at both ends provide more light than a standard candle. In addition, with the adding of “it won’t last the night” signifies that it is a risk being diverse because of how others would negatively think of you as being different, but it would be well worth the risk if it does give “a lovely life.” Moreover, Edna Millay uses symbolism to display his theme of Carpe Diem by living life differently to stand out and make an impact in people’s lives.