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Death, Galford, Longing, Love, poetry, Poets, Pretzels and Bullfights, Sara Teasdale
Public Domain image of Sara Teasdale. Image itself care of Wikimedia Commons.
This week, the guest of honor at the pub is one Sara Teasdale, a lyrical poet of the early 20th century.
Sara Teasdale is a fine example of a tribulation many poets, writers, and other creative sorts have faced throughout history: depression. Many that pursue the arts seem to fall into it, as they fall into all emotions–heavily, for it seems often enough, this is the trade-off they must face for being able to tap those emotions and draw their power into their words, their art.
As such, Teasdale was a lonely woman. She found herself gripped by that, and by the darkness of her depression–it ate at her, and shone through in her works as often as the topic of love and the heart. There was such an undercurrent of longing…it should come as no surprise things ended for her the way they did.
Though a master of language, her words apparently were not enough to reach the world, and Teasdale committed suicide in 1933 by overdose on sleeping pills, just two years after the suicide of another famous poet–and friend of hers–that shall form next week’s spotlight. She is immortalized today in St. Louis’s Walk of Fame.
But today’s poem of hers showcases the heart, the love, and yes, that longing…the quality in her works that makes her so very human.
Not lost, although I long to be
Lost as a candle lit at noon,
Lost as a snowflake in the sea.
A spirit beautiful and bright,
Yet I am I, who long to be
Lost as a light is lost in light.
My senses, leave me deaf and blind,
Swept by the tempest of your love,
A taper in a rushing wind.
dVerse 
Had never heard of this poet before- but that example is beautiful- and I’m defo gonna be looking up more- thanks for switching me onto this
Hi Chris, Thanks for highlighting this. She is an interesting poet. I’d heard her name but not really read anything before and did not know her sad life. k.
i think there is some truth in what you say about poets and other artists, facing depression because of their sensitivity… think some of them faced this loneliness of the poet, joe hesch mentioned in his OLN intro lately… what a big advantage do we online poets have… one more reason to be thankful for this fantastic community here.. her poem touched me deeply…this longing to become one…to be loved and lose yourself in the other and yet maybe the angst… lost as a light in light… powerful stuff…
Wow, Sara Teasdale is one of my favorites! Amazingly talented poet but touched with that same melancholy that plagued so many of the best. Great choice of poem, one of her best. I also really love “There Will Come Soft Rains.” Looking forward to next week’s choice, sounds like you’re featuring another of my faves.
Sad story, touching poem. Yes, we do tend to feel “more.”
Achingly beautiful. I get from this the sense of wanting to be lost in the bliss, the madness – wanting to be loved, and swept away never to return. Yet, we always do return. Thanks so much – Mosk
Depression, and bi-polar disease are both hallmarks of many artistic personalities. The relationship between the two is not fully understood, particularly as to the “chicken or egg.” theory.
Sara Teasdale has long been a favorite of mine. She writes (wrote) beautifully, was not a minimalist, but chose her words carefully – a skill I long to acquire. Thanks for highlighting this wonderful poet. Her type of poetry has been lost in the shuffle of the more modern-style poetry, which I care little for (at least much of it). Sometimes it appears that an overwhelming flood of poetry is washing over us that has little content, too few words, far too little “telling,” and “showing ” too little as well. But I am in th minority of poetry readers and writers who really loves words and likes to use them.
From observation I think that many of the most artistically (in the widest sense of the word) gifted people have suffered some kind of trauma in their life which has become the fuel for their creativity. It may be what takes the ordinary to extra-ordinary levels.
Depression can be another result of trauma and tragedy in a person’s life. It’s not always this way, but for many I think it is.
My own poetry muse was re-awakened in some very dark and difficult times, including a period of clinical depression, hopefully now behind me.
Thanks for the introduction to Sara Teasdale – I’d come across her name, but not seen any of her work before. The poem you chose to reproduce, Chris, is beautiful and sad, full of yearning perfectly described. I would love to be able to write like that.
Thanks for the introduction to Teasdale Chris. I really relate to the longing in her poem as it seems all I can write this week, lol. I truly believe poets and other creative people see and feel the world differently. It’s not all good, but its good for writing.
I do love Teasdale’s work, but haven’t read enough of it. Thank you for the wonderful introduction, and the beautiful poem, with its yearning for love, and also independence (?). Funny, I always thought she was English…Thank you again.
Wow, Chris. This is a powerful article. I will definitely read more of her work; I find her story and the poem you shared to be incredibly moving. I’m always happy to discover another dark poet; they are my favorites.
hey man, just getting home from a long day…i dont know that i have ever heard of her either, but i thoroughly enjoy the verse of hers you chose…
I always loved Teasdale. She was high on my reading list along with Amy Lowell when I was a teen. The pre-Plath women helped form my voice and probably accounts for my reluctance to accept the post Plath inspired women poets. I turned to black women in the late 60s. Gwendolyn Brooks, Rita Dove, Maya Angelou and enjoyed their word play and their sense of hope and positive energy as opposed to the bleakness that ended in suicide for so many. Thanks for bringing her to the attention of those who don’t know her, Chris. Enjoyed the article a lot.
Ah – a subject dear to my heart; I love Teasdale and one of my earliest poems, “The Fog at Dusk” features her as one of the major players (I may repost it and link it through here or Poets United)
In any case, there has been much research done about the relationship between mental illness and creativity, no more so than by Kay Redfield Jamison (co-author of the definitive text, “Manic-Depressive IIlness”)
Jamison, a Professor of Psychiatry at John Hopkins has struggled with the disorder for years herself. She’s written several books addressing various aspects of what is now termed Bipolar Disorder and “Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artististic Temperament” is an exhaustive study of famous artists in all the disciplines – writers, poets, musicians, artists – showing through family trees, hospitalizations, death by suicide etc. what certainly seems a clear indication of the propensity for creativity and mental illness to co-exist.
Striking poem, Chris–of course I’d heard of Teasdale, but sadly not read her–most remiss of me, and something that will now be corrected thanks to your excellent profile. Thank you.
Have never read her work but liked this poem so much ..will read and research more.
Thank you .