| Title | : | The Lamp and the Bell: A Drama in Five Acts (Classic Reprint) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1330857917 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781330857915 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 111 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1921 |
Anselmo. What think you, - lies there any truth in the tale
The King will wed again?
Luigi. Why not, Anselmo?
A king is no less lonely than a collier
When his wife dies, And his young daughter there,
For all her being a princess, is no less
A motherless child, and cries herself to sleep
Night after night, as noisily as any,
You may be sure.
Anselmo. A motherless child loves not,
They say, the second mother. Though the King
May find him comfort in another face, -
As it is well he should - the child, I fancy,
Is not so lonely as she is distraught
With grief for the dead Queen, and will not lightly
Be parted from her tears.
Luigi. If tales be true,
The woman hath a daughter, near the age
Of his, will be a playmate for the Princess,
Scene: A garden of the palace at Fiori; four years later.
Discovered seated Laura, Francesca and Fidelio, Laura embroidering, Fidelio strumming his flute, Francesca lost in thought.
Laura. You, - Fool!
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The Lamp and the Bell: A Drama in Five Acts (Classic Reprint) Reviews
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don't test me edna... i WILL weep
"BIA. shall I forget, then, when i am old, i ever was a child?
i tell you i shall never think of you
throughout my life, without such tenderness
as breaks the heart,—and i shall think of you
whenever i am most happy, whenever i am
most sad, whenever i see a beautiful thing.
you are a burning lamp to me, a flame
the wind cannot blow out, and i shall hold you
high in my hand against whatever darkness.
BEA. you are to me a silver bell in a tower.
and when it rings i know i am near home."
"BEA. the way you draw your gloves on is to me
more marvelous than the way the sun comes up!" -
A fairy tale drama written by Millay for the students at Vassar College to perform, this is an over-the-top melodrama with love triangles, deathbed vigils, accidental murder, the works, and I loved it. It's beautifully written and Millay knows just which emotional buttons to push.
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As always, these are the energies and writings of a woman who was at once, Euterpe and Athena. If I live to be two hundred, both her works AND the woman herself, shall always hold a place of quiet honour and deep affection in my soul.
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This at several points really reminded me of Shakespeare. And I say that as a person who does actually enjoy reading Shakespeare. If you're not familiar/don't enjoy reading scripts I wouldn't say this is one to start with or one that will change your mind. I enjoyed the dialogue, and found the plot paced well but perhaps a bit thin. I think the characters were (unsurprisingly considering the script format and the length of the play) two dimensional, and, honestly, there were more characters than I think the average reader would like to contend with. But I did find myself very moved at times with the emotion of the characters, and I will definitely continue reading Millay's work.
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This five-act play is a pull-out-all-the-stops fairy tale to honor Vassar College on its jubilee. The writing is by turns light-hearted and pathetic. The genius evident in poems she had written by this time is not on display, unless her descriptions of the sports activities the two young women Beatrice and Bianca share (rowing, riding, tennis) really are—as I suspect—full of Shakespeare-worthy double entendres.
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I like the idea of the lamp and the bell, but I did not like the play.
-
A very sweet story. Should be performed more often as it would introduce children to certain language and themes slowly (such as friendship and unrequited love) and adults may enjoy it as well. Language and imagery used is obviously not very refined but I don't even think that was St. Vincent Millay's intention. Definitely recommend for pre-teens.
