“First Fig” Summary

“First Fig” Themes

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  Living Life to the Fullest

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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “First Fig”

• Lines 1-2

  My candle burns at both ends;
  It will not last the night;

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 3-4

  But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—
  It gives a lovely light!

  

  

  

  

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“First Fig” Symbols

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  The Candle

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“First Fig” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Alliteration

  

  

  

  

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• Apostrophe

  

  

  

  

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• Repetition

  

  

  

  

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“First Fig” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Candle
• Foes

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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “First Fig”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“First Fig” Speaker

“First Fig” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “First Fig”

More “First Fig” Resources

• External Resources

  • A Few Figs from Thistles — Dive into the full book in which "First Fig" appears.   

  • Millay's Biography — Read more about Millay's life, courtesy of the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society.  

  • The Poem Out Loud — Listen to a reading of "First Fig," recorded for National Poetry Month.  

  • Millay's Legacy —  Read about the ways in which Millay and her work are perceived today. 

• LitCharts on Other Poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay

  • I, Being born a Woman and Distressed (Sonnet 41)

  • Pity me not because the light of day (Sonnet 29)

  • Recuerdo

  • The Buck in the Snow

  • What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why (Sonnet 43)