Two Slatterns and a King

Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950) was an American playwright, Pulitzer Prize-winning lyrical poet, and feminist activist. One of the most celebrated poets in American history, Millay is hailed as the twentieth century's most skilful sonnet writers who expertly married modern attitudes with traditional forms of expression. Though most famous for her poetry, she was an accomplished playwright and wrote numerous successful plays and verse dramas. First published in 1921, "Two Slatterns and a King - A Moral Interlude" is a one of such dramas written by Millay and produced at Vassar college. Written in regular four-foot couplets, it draws upon fairy tales and revolves around a king who is searching for a suitable wife. Though he is desirous of the tidiest women in the land, a series of curious mishaps result on his marrying Slut and not Tidy. Other notable works by this author include: "Second April" and "The Lamp and the Bell". Read & Co. Books is republishing this collection of classic verse drama now in a new edition complete with a biography of the author by Carl Van Doren.