The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1922

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Related Poems

“Refugee Blues” by W. H. Auden (1939)

Written by W. H. Auden in 1939, just before the start of World War II, “Refugee Blues” comments on the indifference and antagonism with which Jewish refugees were received as they sought asylum from Nazi Germany. Like "The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver," Auden's poem depicts helplessness, isolation, and the yearning for safety from harm.

“Poverty” by Jane Taylor (1804)

Taylor's poem parallels Millay’s “The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver” in its reflections about misery, poverty, and parenthood. The mother portrayed in both poems puts her children's needs above her own and wishes she could provide for them.

“The courage that my mother had” by Edna St. Vincent Millay (1949)

Written shortly before Millay's death in 1950, this poem shares the melancholy and reflective tone of "The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver." Both poems focus on a mother whose courage is an inspiring and memorable force, as well as a source of strength, long after the mother's death.

Further Literary Resources

“Finding Music in the Life and Letters of Edna St. Vincent Millay” by Sarah Dacey (2021)

British composer and singer Dacey discusses the formality of Edna St. Vincent Millay’s writing and examines the influence of music on Millay’s poetry. Dacey draws parallels between the anti-feminist rhetoric of Millay’s time and the far-right anti-LGBTQ rhetoric proliferating the United States as Dacey worked on a new choral piece. Dacey also includes a brief excerpt from one of Millay’s letters.

“13 Ways of Looking at Edna St. Vincent Millay” by Catharine Halley (2022)

Halley's JSTOR blog article looks at Millay as a poet, lover, feminist, and activist. In this uniquely structured piece, Halley includes snippets of interviews, manuscripts, and even commentaries from other influential writers and literary critics who interacted with Millay. Halley also includes excerpts from some of Millay’s lesser-known poems, such as “First Fig.” Some of the included commentary comes from more contemporary critics, and the inclusion of these commentaries provides a more modern interpretation of Millay as a person and her poetry. Another unique feature of this article is the inclusion of handwritten letters from Millay to others. These letters provide a more personal, intimate look at Millay.

“The Sad Fate of Edna St. Vincent Millay–America’s Once Celebrated Poet” by Craig Raine (2022)

Raine dissects various entries from Edna St. Vincent Millay’s diaries and uncovers some of Millay’s most intimate moments, ranging from a poetry reading with 1500 in attendance to a lunch with Laurence Olivier and his wife. Other unique details, such as Millay’s love of her honorary degrees from various universities and the amount of her 1928 recorded income, give readers a new perspective about the poet. The article also discusses Millay’s other unique personality traits, such as how she despised anthologies and how her work was excluded from many of them.