Speaker or Narrator, and Point of View
The poem's narrator is not explicitly identified, but it is likely that the speaker is Millay herself, recounting a fond memory from her past.
Form and Meter
The poem is written in free verse, meaning that it has no regular rhyme or meter.
Metaphors and Similes
"The water turned to a thousand tails" is an example of a metaphor.
Alliteration and Assonance
The line "bright bedazzlements" is an example of alliteration.
Irony
N/A
Genre
Lyric poem
Setting
The poem is set in New York City, specifically in the area around a harbor.
Tone
Nostalgic, mournful, and wistful
Protagonist and Antagonist
The book doesn't utilize a clear protagonist-antagonist structure.
Major Conflict
There is no clear conflict in the poem as it is a meditation on a particular moment.
Climax
There is no clear climax in the poem, as it is more of a snapshot of a particular moment in time than a narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Foreshadowing
N/A
Understatement
The line "And the beer was in kegs and the bread was in loaves" downplays the abundance of food and drink that the speaker and her companion encountered.
Allusions
The line "We were very tired, we were very merry— / We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry" is a reference to the nursery rhyme "Wee Willie Winkie."
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
"The houses leaned into the wind" is an example of personification, as it gives the house human-like characteristics.
Hyperbole
The line "We swung on the edge of the high, white cliffs" exaggerates the height of the cliffs.
Onomatopoeia
N/A
