Ebb

Perhaps the central theme of Millay’s lyric “Ebb” is love. It’s love that compels the speaker to use her voice, as her heartbreak seems to leave her with no other option but to put it into words and make sense of what’s happened to her. The love between the speaker and her partner has ebbed or “died” (Line 2). Thus, the theme isn’t simply about love but love and loss.

In “Ebb,” the theme of love and loss centers on the heart. The heart serves as the main symbol for the speaker. In other words, the single body part—the heart—stands in for the entire woman. Through the heart, the speaker exhibits her welfare and emotions. Where the heart goes, the woman speaker follows. Because her heart isn’t in great shape, neither is the woman. The lost love has left the woman speaker feeling empty. She describes her heart as “hollow” (Line 3). It contains only a “little tepid pool” (Line 6) that is slowly drying out. In “Ebb,” the theme of love isn’t positive but negative. It’s a depleting, enervating experience that engenders woe for the speaker.