Question

How does repeated lines contribute to the overall meaning of the poem, Recuerdo by Edna st Vincent Millay

Answer 1

In the poem "Recuerdo" by Edna St. Vincent Millay, repeated lines contribute to the overall meaning by emphasizing the cyclic nature of the narrator's experience. The repeated lines "We were very tired, we were very merry" and "And the city went by" create a sense of rhythm and repetition, mirroring the constant movement and energy of the city. By repeating these lines throughout the poem, Millay reinforces the idea of the fleeting and transitory nature of the narrator's experience, highlighting the ephemeral beauty of a moment in time.

Additionally, the repetition of these lines serves to underscore the juxtaposition between the exhaustion and joy that the narrator feels, capturing the complexities of human emotion and the dualities of life. The repeated lines become a refrain, anchoring the reader in the emotion and memory of the moment, while also hinting at the impermanence of it all.

Overall, the repeated lines in "Recuerdo" serve to enhance the poem's themes of impermanence, intensity, and the vividness of memory, creating a sense of nostalgia and longing for a moment that has passed but lingers in the narrator's mind.