O ailing Love, compose your struggling wing!

Edna St. Vincent Millay

1892 to 1950

Poem Image

We are working on musical arrangements of O ailing Love, compose your struggling wing! by Edna St. Vincent Millay and they will be published on a date yet to be decided.

O ailing Love, compose your struggling wing!
Confess you mortal; be content to die.
How better dead, than be this awkward thing
Dragging in dust its feathers of the sky,
Hitching and rearing, plunging beak to loam,
Upturned, disheveled, utt’ring a weak sound
Less proud than of the gull that rakes the foam,
Less kind than of the hawk that scours the ground.
While yet your awful beauty, even at bay,
Beats off the impious eye, the outstretched hand,
And what your hue or fashion none can say,
Vanish, be fled, leave me a wingless land . . .
Save where one moment down the quiet tide
Fades a white swan, with a black swan beside.

 

Edna St. Vincent Millay's O ailing Love, compose your struggling wing!

We are busy working to bring Edna St. Vincent Millay's "O ailing Love, compose your struggling wing!" to life through our unique musical arrangements and will have a full analysis of the poem here for you soon.

At V2Melody, each arrangement is crafted with care through a thoughtful partnership of human artistry and technological innovation. This process involves:

  • Deep analysis of the poem's rhythm, structure, and emotional essence
  • Careful selection of musical styles that enhance the poem's unique voice
  • Balancing traditional poetic expression with contemporary sound landscapes
  • Multiple revisions to ensure the arrangement honors the poet's original vision

This creative journey takes time—each composition represents hours of dedicated work to create something that deepens our connection to Edna St. Vincent Millay's words in meaningful ways.

While you wait for our complete interpretation, we invite you to explore other musical arrangements in our gallery or learn more about Edna St. Vincent Millay's life and contributions to literature.

Check back soon to experience how "O ailing Love, compose your struggling wing!" transforms when verse meets melody—a unique journey that makes poetry accessible, engaging, and profoundly moving in new ways.