I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed (Sonnet XLI) by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Millay was one of the most respected poets of the 20th century. She was well known for her passionate public poetry readings. What I love about her story is that she was a strong woman raised by an equally strong and independent woman. Her mother raised three daughters on her own, encouraging them to be ambitious and self-sufficient. From an early age, her mother fostered an appreciation for music and literature urging Millay to enter one of her poems into a contest in 1912, which lead her to win acclaim early on and a scholarship to Vassar College.