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6 Dec 2025
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CCEA GCSE English Lit - Poem Analysis Notes: 'What Lips My Lips Have Kissed'
alicia :)
@aleeseeah
Analysing "What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why"
This poem hits differently because it's not about unrequited love - it's about something far more unsettling. The speaker has forgotten her past lovers entirely, remembering only fragments like disembodied lips and arms.
Millay uses synecdoche (referring to people by body parts) to show emotional detachment. The alliteration of "what, where, why" forces you to slow down and feel the speaker's desperate searching through empty memories. Notice how the caesura after "forgotten" creates a harsh, abrupt ending that mirrors her emotional state.
The metaphor comparing rain to ghosts is brilliant - these spectral memories tap on the glass, symbolising the barrier between the speaker and her past. The polysyndeton (repeated "and") slows the reading down, making you feel the weight of everything she's lost.
Key insight: The poem's power comes from what's missing rather than what's there - absence becomes the main character.
The octave establishes the problem whilst the sestet traditionally should offer resolution. Instead, Millay subverts this expectation entirely. The tree metaphor shows her emotional state: once full of singing birds (lovers), now silent and bare in winter (loneliness).
Context and Literary Techniques
Published in 1920 during the women's rights movement, this poem was revolutionary. Millay won the Pulitzer Prize in 1923, and her work challenged traditional gender roles in poetry - particularly the male-dominated Italian sonnet tradition.
The timing matters hugely. The 19th Amendment granted American women voting rights in 1920, the same year this appeared in Vanity Fair. Millay was part of a generation rewriting the rules about women's sexuality and emotional expression.
Form-wise, she follows the Petrarchan sonnet structure perfectly - 14 lines, octave presenting the problem, sestet offering resolution. The rhyme scheme (ABBAABBA CDEDCE) never wavers, making her thematic rebellion even more striking.
Remember: Traditional sonnets celebrated love; Millay questions whether loving at all was worth the inevitable loss.
The iambic pentameter mimics natural speech rhythms, with only line 9 breaking the pattern to signal the crucial tonal shift. This technical mastery makes her emotional honesty even more powerful.
Key themes include memory loss, the passage of time, and female sexual agency. Unlike male poets writing about conquests, Millay writes about forgetting - a uniquely vulnerable perspective that challenged literary conventions of her era.
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Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
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This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
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The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
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In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
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very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
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Paul T
iOS user
CCEA GCSE English Lit - Poem Analysis Notes: 'What Lips My Lips Have Kissed'
alicia :)
@aleeseeah
Ever wondered what it feels like when love becomes just a distant memory? Edna St. Vincent Millay's sonnet explores the haunting experience of forgetting past relationships and the pain of losing those intimate memories forever.
Analysing "What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why"
This poem hits differently because it's not about unrequited love - it's about something far more unsettling. The speaker has forgotten her past lovers entirely, remembering only fragments like disembodied lips and arms.
Millay uses synecdoche (referring to people by body parts) to show emotional detachment. The alliteration of "what, where, why" forces you to slow down and feel the speaker's desperate searching through empty memories. Notice how the caesura after "forgotten" creates a harsh, abrupt ending that mirrors her emotional state.
The metaphor comparing rain to ghosts is brilliant - these spectral memories tap on the glass, symbolising the barrier between the speaker and her past. The polysyndeton (repeated "and") slows the reading down, making you feel the weight of everything she's lost.
Key insight: The poem's power comes from what's missing rather than what's there - absence becomes the main character.
The octave establishes the problem whilst the sestet traditionally should offer resolution. Instead, Millay subverts this expectation entirely. The tree metaphor shows her emotional state: once full of singing birds (lovers), now silent and bare in winter (loneliness).
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
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Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Context and Literary Techniques
Published in 1920 during the women's rights movement, this poem was revolutionary. Millay won the Pulitzer Prize in 1923, and her work challenged traditional gender roles in poetry - particularly the male-dominated Italian sonnet tradition.
The timing matters hugely. The 19th Amendment granted American women voting rights in 1920, the same year this appeared in Vanity Fair. Millay was part of a generation rewriting the rules about women's sexuality and emotional expression.
Form-wise, she follows the Petrarchan sonnet structure perfectly - 14 lines, octave presenting the problem, sestet offering resolution. The rhyme scheme (ABBAABBA CDEDCE) never wavers, making her thematic rebellion even more striking.
Remember: Traditional sonnets celebrated love; Millay questions whether loving at all was worth the inevitable loss.
The iambic pentameter mimics natural speech rhythms, with only line 9 breaking the pattern to signal the crucial tonal shift. This technical mastery makes her emotional honesty even more powerful.
Key themes include memory loss, the passage of time, and female sexual agency. Unlike male poets writing about conquests, Millay writes about forgetting - a uniquely vulnerable perspective that challenged literary conventions of her era.
We thought you’d never ask...
What is the Knowunity AI companion?
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
Where can I download the Knowunity app?
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Is Knowunity really free of charge?
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Most popular content: Poetry Theme
Most popular content in English Literature
English - inspector calls quotes and analysis
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English - inspector calls quotes and analysis
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English Literature10
Can't find what you're looking for? Explore other subjects.
Students love us — and so will you.
4.9/5
App Store
4.8/5
Google Play
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user