Question

In her 1921 poem "Spring," Edna St. Vincent Millay subverts conventional depictions of springtime. Instead of celebrating growth and renewal, Millay disputes the merit of the season entirely: ______ Which quotation from "Spring" most effectively illustrates the claim?

Answer 1

'To what purpose, April, do you return again? / Beauty is not enough.'

Step-by-step explanation:

The quotation from Millay's 'Spring' that subverts conventional springtime depictions is 'To what purpose, April, do you return again? / Beauty is not enough.'

Answer 2

The quotation from Millay's 'Spring' illustrating the subversion of the conventional depiction of spring is: "The flowers do fade, and wanton fields/ To wayward winter reckoning yields; A honey tongue, a heart of gall, Is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall." It underscores the impermanence and duality of spring as both beautiful and sorrowful.

Step-by-step explanation:

The quotation from Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem Spring that most effectively illustrates the claim that Millay subverts conventional depictions of springtime, disputing the merit of the season entirely, is: "The flowers do fade, and wanton fields/ To wayward winter reckoning yields; A honey tongue, a heart of gall, Is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall."

This verse captures Millay's nuanced view of spring, where the transient nature of blooming flowers is linked to the ultimate disappointment of fanciful hopes that do not last, challenging the typical associations of spring with joy and renewal. By using the contrast between the sweet 'honey tongue' and the bitter 'heart of gall,' Millay embodies the duality of spring as both a time of beauty and of hidden sorrow.