Assault

by Edna St. Vincent Millay — a poem card from Justes Mots

Millay personifies Beauty as a wild force that 'waylays' a timid woman returning home at dusk, with frog calls anchoring her memory of sensory awakening. The brief poem captures the tension between desire for aesthetic experience and fear or caution, presenting Beauty as simultaneously thrilling and overwhelming. It resonates with anyone torn between seeking and retreating from transformative encounters.

I

I had forgotten how the frogs must sound
After a year of silence, else I think
I should not so have ventured forth alone
At dusk upon this unfrequented road.

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Themes: love · new-baby · wedding · friendship