I will put Chaos in to fourteen lines And keep him there; and let him thence escape If he be lucky; let him twist, and ape Flood, fire, and demons–hi… - Edna St. Vincent Millay

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I will put Chaos in to fourteen lines
And keep him there; and let him thence escape
If he be lucky; let him twist, and ape
Flood, fire, and demons–his adroit designs
Will strain to nothing in the strict confines
Of this sweet Order, where, in pious rape,
I hold his essence and amorphous shape,
Till he with Order mingles and combines.
Past are the hours, the years, of our duress,
His arrogance, our awful servitude:
I have him. He is nothing more nor less
Than something simple not yet understood;
I shall not even force him to confess;
Or answer. I will only make him good.

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About Edna St. Vincent Millay

Edna St. Vincent Millay (February 22, 1892 – October 19, 1950) was an American lyrical poet and playwright and the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. She was also known for her unconventional, bohemian lifestyle and her many love affairs. She used the pseudonym Nancy Boyd for her prose work.

Biography information from Wikiquote

Also Known As

Pen Names: Nancy Boyd

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Additional quotes by Edna St. Vincent Millay

— Infinity
Came down and settled over me;
Forced back my scream into my chest,
Bent back my arm upon my breast

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