First Fig Resources

Want to read more? Check out UPenn's digital library, which has a full collection of Millay's works.

Just can't get enough? Become part of the Millay society and spend all your time communing with her other fans.

Millay co-wrote the screenplay for Hitler's Madmen, a movie depicting the assassination of one of Hitler's captains, Reinhart Heydrich. Watch a key scene here.

Captivated by the promise of burning candles and other excitement? Check out the trailer to a Millay biopic here.

Check out the poem as a short film.

In a lecture entitled "Poetry's Adventurous Valentine," learn about the life and legacy of Edna St. Vincent Millay.

Ah, Poetry Foundation. How smart you are. How we love your lectures. Here's another one on the poetry of winter—featuring, of course, Millay.

Ah, flowers. Springtime. What better way to capture the beauty of youth? And poetry? Don't say that Vincent didn't know how to create a stunning image.

Okay, so you've seen the poet in trees and flowers. Now here's the full-front face shot. An actor today couldn't ask for better. Couple this face with a biting wit, and you can see why Millay was the talk of the town.

What's the big deal with figs? Well, for one thing, they've been described since time immemorial as looking something like female reproductive organs. Don't believe us? Well, click on this link and then compare it to the charts in your biology classroom.

Suicide? Natural death? While the public verdict is still out, you can read the New York Times' oh-so-polite obituary here:

As you might guess from "First Fig," Millay lived a pretty exciting life. You can learn all about it in this rollicking biography.

Funny, smart and in-your-face? That's exactly the sort of poetry that kids might love—which is why lots of children's collections include Millay's work. Here's one, for starters.

Millay kept up a very active political profile throughout her life and was especially committed to activism around the two world wars. In fact, she even contributed to the screenplay for a film called Hitler's Madmen. The title pretty much speaks for itself.

You could think of this as an older version of MTV's Cribs. This video shows us around Millay's estate in upstate New York. Who doesn't like to peer through the windows of the rich and famous?