The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver

In 1922, the year “The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver” received publication, the United States and the globe saw many political and social changes. During this time, Millay's poetry supported the goals of equal civil, social, political, and financial rights for women. Themes about women’s independence and women’s domestic roles dominated her poetry, including within “The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver.” The 1920s saw many changes regarding women in the workforce and the home, and the freedoms women gained contributed to the first wave of feminism. The year 1922 saw many advancements for women: In the United States, the Supreme Court rebuffed a challenge to the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. In Massachusetts, all public offices opened to women. In Georgia, Rebecca L. Felton became the first woman US senator; she received the temporary appointment from the governor of Georgia after Senator Thomas Watson died suddenly, and she held the post for only two days. In other countries, such as the United Kingdom, The Law of Property Act 1922 passed, which gave wives the right to inherit property equally with their husbands.

Despite these new freedoms and advancements, the 1920s also marked a time of widespread poverty in the United States. As described in "The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver," the woman in the poem is a widow who is struggling to provide for herself and her son since her husband's death. The woman in the poem is burdened with multiple roles that she does not have the means to fulfill. “The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver” is a social commentary about the obstacles women faced during this time period, especially if their partners passed away, or if they divorced: Women reared families and also attempted to provide for their families in the aftermath of loss and grief.