It has been said that Rossetti’s poem is conventional and celebratory, whereas Millay’s poem

offers a very different view of love.

Christina Rossetti’s poem is conventional in the sense that it presents love through the use of rich
materials and pastoral imagery; the poem could also be said to be celebratory, the title being
‘Birthday’ indicates that her love is a celebration. On the other hand, Millay’s poem offers a very
different view of love, the repeated use of morbid imagery as well ‘love is not all’ presents love in a
different. However, both share similar messages.

The first stanza of Rossetti’s ‘A Birthday’ uses pairs of similes to illustrate (I know you don’t like this
word but is it okay in this sense?) that her ‘love is gladder than all these’. The first line of the poem
compares her love to a ‘singing bird whose nest is in a watered shoot’. The idea of a ‘singing bird’
has become a convention of romantic literature, and has connotations of delicate beauty, something
that is contrasted in Millay’s poem. Millay’s short declarative ‘Love is not all’ differs in the sense that
it breaks away from the metaphysical. This means that, love is not ‘not meat, nor drink’, this is very
different from the conventional, almost idealistic love of Rossetti’s ‘A Birthday’. The first stanza of ‘A
Birthday’ is conventional in its use of elements of Renaissance poetry. The use of similes in couplets
as well as the pastoral imagery and the penultimate line which declares her ‘heart is gladder than all
these’. This qualifying line is similar to renaissance literature where they boast their love towards the
lover.

The second stanza of ‘A Birthday’ presents love as celebratory, Rossetti begins with the imperative
‘Raise me a dais of silk’. A ‘dais’ is a low platform for a lectern or throne, she then begins to list rich
items such as ‘gold’ and ‘silver’. The idea of her wishing to have a throne of sorts as a display of her
love is very celebratory. However, in some respects it is unconventional, it is rather egocentric to
want a throne of sorts decked with rich materials, it is like she sees herself of a queen. This is
supported by the ‘purple dyes’ which is synonymous with the monarchies colours. Furthermore, the
‘fleurs-de-lys’ is also closely associated with French monarchism; this contradicts the conventional
self-less love of the past. Millay’s sonnet presents love differently as the speaker begins to talk about
‘making friends with death … for lack of love alone’. The use of the alliteration of ‘lack of love’ draws
attention to the morbidity of the line. This is very different, the juxta-position of love and death is
different to the celebratory love in Rossetti’s poem. Millay changes the tone (volta?) of the poem
with the word ‘yet’ from this point she begins talking to the reader which adds a didactic element to
poem as she tries to tell the reader of the pain of loneliness: ‘pinned down by pain moaning for
releasing’. She then returns to the message at the beginning of the poem ‘I might be driven to sell
your love for peace’ subverting from the more idealised love of Rossetti’s.

However, although both poems are seemingly ‘very different’, the last verse of ‘Love is not all’ seems
to contradict what is previously said as she says ‘I do not think I would’, suggesting that although
love is not an all powerful force, it is still cherished and important to the speaker. The sonnet form of
the poem also indicates that despite the death this is a love poem at its heart. The ‘very different’
aspects of this poem could be explained by the time it was written in. 1931 was roughly the
midpoint of the modernist movement which could of influenced the realist aspects of the poem such
as the ‘Love is not all’. On the other hand, Rossetti’s poem is one written during the Victorian period
where love is defined by religion, this meant it was more idealised and glorified as it symbolised the
marriage of true minds. Both poems present love similarly in the sense that love is powerful but
Rossetti’s is more conventional and celebratory whereas Millay’s is more realistic but still retains
aspects of cherished love.
Overall, I think that, Rossetti’s poem is very conventional and celebratory as it uses pastoral imagery,
similes and rich items to express her love. On the other hand, Millay’s poem differs in that it
presents love as a magic cure for ills but as a raw, powerful emotion. It also differs in its use of
suicide.