One of Edna St. Vincent Millay’s best-loved poems, “Time does not bring relief; you all have lied” explores the theme of intense longing for one’s loved one. This theme is accompanied by the speaker’s heartache caused by the lover’s absence. She talks about how badly she misses him throughout the year. When she tries to find a place without his trace, it paradoxically reminds her of him. The speaker of Millay’s “An Ancient Gesture” also goes through a similar phase.