An Ancient Gesture

“An Ancient Gesture” has an uneven form. Some lines are short; Lines 2 and 13, for example, contain only four words. Other lines, like Lines 6 and 7, jut out. The visible variation in line length suggests free verse. By the mid-20th century, many poets in America broke with traditional forms and meters and composed poems in free verse, so they had the liberty to create lines as long and short as they wished. Millay was a 20th-century poet who typically embraced tradition. She created sonnets and taut lyrics. The looser form and meter of “An Ancient Gesture” sets it apart from her canon. It’s not a typical Millay poem.

Yet the form doesn’t represent a complete break from tradition. There are still hints of the type of melodious poetry Millay is known for. To generate a harmonious sound, Millay uses an irregular rhyming pattern. In Stanza 1, Lines 4-6 rhyme; Lines 7-8 rhyme; and Lines 2-9 rhyme. In Stanza 2, Lines 11-12 and 15-16 rhyme; and Lines 14 and 17 rhyme. The uncharacteristic form, the lack of meter, and the unpredictable rhymes reinforce the theme of powerful emotions.