Edna St. Vincent Millay is a symbol of what or whom in the 1920s?

• A. The modern woman
• B. The aristocracy
• C. The artist as recluse
• D. The strict traditionalist

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how Millay came to symbolize the modern woman of the 1920s. Her poetry and public life celebrated female autonomy, sexual freedom, wit, and a willingness to challenge traditional gender roles. The famous line about burning a candle at both ends captures a ethos of living boldly and without apology, which many 1920s women identified with as they pushed against domestic expectations and sought more personal and creative freedom. This framing makes Millay a natural emblem of a new, independent woman rather than a member of the aristocracy, a secluded artist, or a strict traditionalist—those descriptions don’t align with her outspoken, lively, and reform-minded persona.