Context

Short poems always pack a punch of meaning, don't they?

In one short stanza, Millay comes up with a single metaphor: the speaker has a candle that burns at both ends, and even though it'll burn out really quickly, it also burns about twice as brightly as any normal candle. 

What's the meta for? When you think of the candle as the speaker's life, or her sexuality, or even Millay's own career as a poet, well, then things start to get a whole lot more interesting.

Take a look at our more detailed analysis here.

Where you've heard it

Unless you spend your time collecting inspirational quote candles, this quote is mostly heard in poetry class.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Depending on what your metaphor is, this one isn't too bad.