The following essay compares Millay's "Recuerdo" and "
Love is Not at All; It is Not Meat Nor Drink" which serve as compelling and vivid reminders that our
lives are short and that we have two choices in life-- to ignore our emotional needs in favor of obtaining
material possessions or to make finding and maintaining love an integral part of our lives, one which in our darkest hour will provide us with invaluable comfort and serenity.