Educational Media Reviews Online

This documentary chronicles the life of Edna St. Vincent Millay who was born in 1892 and died tragically in 1950. She was notably one of the most popular American poets during the 20s and 30s, writing plays and operas in addition to her poems. She symbolized the liberated woman of the Jazz age. In 1923, she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. However, in the 40s her style of poetry (the sonnet) was no longer as fashionable as free verse and the values expressed in her poetry did not speak to the generation returning from WWII. Although, she continued to write, the last years of her life were spent battling morphine and alcohol addiction.

Millay’s story unfolds chronologically through interviews and photos shared by her biographers and scholars. Editors from Poetry Magazine as well as members of the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society add additional information and analysis. Interspersed are readings of Millay’s poems, letters, and diary entries which correspond to the chapters of her life. Extensive footage of Millay’s last residence, the contents of which have been preserved since her death, is also included. The documentary chronicles her life and work in such a way that the viewer sees Millay’s life reflected in her work and her work prescripting her life.

The cinematography is excellent and the narrator deftly weaves the interviews, photos, home movies, and readings together in a manner that sustains interest and deepens the viewer’s understanding of Millay’s life and her time. It is especially insightful to hear her work read aloud. The readings add a performance quality to the documentary. Although her biographers render her sympathetically and are awed by her genius, they do not gloss over her unconventional lifestyle.

Recommended especially for literature and poetry majors at the college level.