Lament

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1923

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Themes

Individual Response to Grief

In the poem, the speaker, presumably a woman, loses her husband under unnamed circumstances. The woman faces raising two children by herself. Her tone throughout the poem is emotionless. She focuses on practicalities, such as making sure her children are clothed. The items she lists seem trivial in comparison to her husband’s death, yet her determination to make “little jackets” (Line 4) and “little trousers” (Line 5) from the father’s “old pants” (Line 6) show her determination to place her children’s needs above hers. The mother is also determined to prepare her children for the life ahead of them. She decides “Dan shall have the pennies” (Line 11). By giving the son the pennies, the mother is essentially designating the family’s financial future as the son’s responsibility. The mother gives Anne, the daughter, “the keys / To make a pretty noise with” (Lines 13-14). Anne is most likely still a baby, with her entire life and future ahead of her, so the keys are not only the mother’s way of entertaining Anne, but they are also representative of the mother giving the daughter a future. The mother’s response to grief is to transform into a selfless, self-sacrificing individual who ensures the safety and future of others.

Societal Response to Grief

Throughout the poem, the speaker distances herself from her and her children’s grief. She focuses on material items like the father’s “old coats” (Line 3) and “his old pants” (Line 6). She also focuses on the “Keys and pennies” (Line 9) the father kept in his pockets. The mother’s focus on material items reinforces society’s materialism. It seems as though the mother has no room or time to grieve her husband’s death because she has focused her efforts on providing for her children by making sure they have clothing, entertainment, and future financial means. What the mother implicitly addresses is society’s expectation that a single mother provides for her children, regardless of the circumstances or as the mother’s ability to do so.

As the poem concludes, the mother begins repeating “Life must go on” (Line 15, Line 17, Line 21). The mother’s repetition of this line shows her determination to move forward and fulfill society’s expectation that she must move forward regardless of her own grief. By repeating the line to herself, the mother shows that she is not selfish. The mother commands her children, “Anne, eat your breakfast” (Line 19) and “Dan, take your medicine” (Line 20). She is putting the society’s expectations above her own needs by emphasizing her focus on her children, since during Millay’s time a woman’s primary role was taking care of her children. The poem concludes with two lines: “Life must go on; / I just don’t know why” (Lines 21-22). The conclusion is the mother’s admission that she recognizes that life must continue, but that she doesn’t understand why society expects her to continue with life so quickly after her husband’s death.

Domestic Relationships

Though Millay was a considered a rebellious, feminist poet for her time, Millay’s work often focused on domestic, heterosexual relationships. In “Lament,” readers encounter a disassociated speaker, who, perhaps from shock, resorts to multitasking instead of allowing herself room to grieve for her dead husband. The speaker is now in control of the family. The poem opens with a strict command, “Listen, children:” (Line 1). The mother’s bluntness shows that she is trying to reinforce her sudden role as the head of the family. Her second statement, “Your father is dead” (Line 2) is just as authoritative. The speaker recognizes that she is now in charge of the family, and she proceeds to list all the things she will do in order to ensure a future for her children. She first explains how she will make sure the children are clothed. Then, she focuses on ensuring a strong financial future for her children by designating which child receives what items from their father’s menial belongings. Notably, she does not attend to her own grief, nor the grief of her children, which would likely have been significant. Thus, ironically, in stepping into the role of the head of the household, the mother must abdicate the typical role of comforter and emotional support for one that is not focused solely on survival.

During the time in which “Lament” was published, the roles of mothers and single mothers began to change significantly. The 1920s presented opportunities and prosperity for women, and more women attended college and took jobs as secretaries, telephone operators, stenographers, and even factory workers. The speaker repeats the phrase “Life must go on” (Lines 15, 17, 21). The speaker’s repetition of this phrase reveals her determination to conform to society’s expectation that she move forward from her husband’s death, become the family’s provider and foundation, and take care of her children despite her own needs (and some of theirs).