Class 3 :: English Literature :: Afternoon on a Hill by Edna St. Vincent Millay (Roots)
Afternoon on a Hill
by Edna St. Vincent Millay (Roots)
The Poem :
"I will be the gladdest thing
Under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
And not pick one.
I will look at cliffs and clouds
With quiet eyes,
Watch the wind bow down the grass,
And the grass rise.
And when lights begin to show
Up from the town,
I will mark which must be mine,
And then start down!"
Summary of the Poem :
The poet would be the happiest being on a hill under the afternoon sun. She would touch a hundred flowers without picking anyone. She would look at cliffs and clouds with her quiet eyes. The wind would bend the grass down with pressure. The grass would rise again once the wind pressure decreases.
Then, gradually, it would become dark evening. The lights of the town would be seen from distance. The poet would identify which light belongs to her place. Then she would start climbing down the hill.
Comprehension
Read and answer
1. What does the speaker look at?
a. the ocean. [ ]
b. clouds and cliff. [✓]
c. birds on trees. [ ]
2. When will the speaker climb down?
= The speaker will climb down when she would see the lights from the town.
3. Why do you think the speaker wants to spend the afternoon on a hill?
= I think the speaker wants to spend the afternoon on a hill because she would be the happiest being on a hill under the afternoon sun. She would touch a hundred flowers without picking anyone. She would look at cliffs and clouds with her quiet eyes. The wind would bend the grass down with pressure. The grass would rise again once the wind pressure decreases. Overall, she wants to enjoy the natural beauty of the hill in the afternoon.
4. Why do you think the speaker decides to only touch but not to pluck a single flower?
= I think the speaker decides to only touch but not to pluck a single flower because she is an admirer of nature and natural beauty. Trees also have life. It gets hurt while we pluck flowers or tear leaves or cut its branches.
The poet is fond of trees and flowers. She wants to feel the beauty and joy by touching the flower. It is harmful for the trees to pluck flowers. This will also spoil the natural beauty. So, the poet decides to not to pluck it.
About the Poet :
Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950), born in Maine, wrote poems and plays. As a child, she was interested in both literature and music. She had wanted to play the piano at concerts but her music teacher told her that her hands were too small. This made her focus on writing and she began sending her poems to famous children's magazines. She is remembered as one of the greatest American poets of the twentieth century.