Second Fig — Summary

Millay sets two ways of living side by side. Safe, sensible houses stand on solid rock, but she calls them ugly. Then she invites us to admire her “shining palace” built on sand. The speaker knows that sand shifts and the tide could easily destroy what she has made, but she chooses it anyway because it is brighter and more exciting than dull security. She does not seem anxious about the danger; she sounds delighted by it. The phrase “come and see” has a playful, almost taunting pride, as if she is showing off a risky decision. The old idea of building on sand usually means foolishness, but Millay flips the moral: she would rather have something dazzling and temporary than something sturdy and unlovely. The mood is light, bold, and a little defiant—a short celebration of beauty and risk over safety.