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Sara Teasdale

Sara Teasdale Quotes

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Famous Sara Teasdale Quotes

“My theory is that poems are written because of a state of emotional irritation. It may be present for some time before the poet is conscious of what is tormenting him. The emotional irritation springs, probably, from subconscious combinations of partly forgotten thoughts and feelings. Coming together, like electrical currents in a thunder storm, they produce a poem. ... the poem is written to free the poet from an emotional burden.”

MayStatesFeelingsTogetherPoetryWrittenProduceEmotionalPoetTheorySpringConsciousForgottenCurrentsBurdenStormCombinationSubconsciousThunderElectricalThoughts And FeelingsIrritationComing Together
Book:Mirror of the Heart: Poems of Sara Teasdale
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“There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground, And swallows circling with their shimmering sound; And frogs in the pool singing at night, And wild plum trees in tremulous white; Robins will wear their feathery fire, Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire; And not one will know of the war, not one Will care at last when it is done. Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree, If mankind perished utterly; And Spring herself when she woke at dawn Would scarcely know that we were gone.”

IfsKnowsMindWarDoneCareLastsNightSoundWhiteGoneFireTreeMankindSpringSingingLowsBirdRainSmellDawnPoolFenceWireFrogsWhimRobinsPlumsWhistling
Book:Collected Poems
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“Life has loveliness to sell, All beautiful and splendid things, Blue waves whitened on a cliff, Soaring fire that sways and sings, And children's faces looking up, Holding wonder like a cup. Life has loveliness to sell, Music like a curve of gold, Scent of pine trees in the rain, Eyes that love you, arms that hold, And for your spirit's still delight, Holy thoughts that star the night. Spend all you have for loveliness, Buy it and never count the cost; For one white singing hour of peace Count many a year of strife well lost, And for a breath of ecstasy Give all you have been, or could be.”

LifeGivingYearsWellsChildrenHas BeensStillsEyeBeautifulFacesSpiritNightLostStarsHoursWhiteWonderFireTreeLove YouArmsHolyCostLosingSingingRainGoldBreathsBlueSellsWaveDelightCupsEcstasyScentStrifeSoarCurvesSplendidCliffsLovelinessPine Trees
Book:Mirror of the Heart: Poems of Sara Teasdale
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“When I am dead, and over me bright April Shakes out her rain drenched hair, Tho you should lean above me broken hearted, I shall not care. For I shall have peace. As leafey trees are peaceful When rain bends down the bough. And I shall be more silent and cold hearted Than you are now”

ShouldCareTreeHairBrokenColdRainSuicideSilentPeacefulShakesSuicidalLast WordsAprilHeartedBroken HeartedSuicide NoteCold Hearted
Book:Rivers to the Sea
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“If I should see your eyes again, I know how far their look would go -- Back to a morning in the park With sapphire shadows on the snow. Or back to oak trees in the spring When you unloosed my hair and kissed The head that lay against your knees In the leaf shadow's amethyst. And still another shining place We would remember -- how the dun Wild mountain held us on its crest One diamond morning white with sun. But I will turn my eyes from you As women turn to put away The jewels they have worn at night And cannot wear in sober day.”

IfsKnowsShouldLooksStillsEyeRememberNightTurnsWhiteMorningKnow HowSunTreeHairMountainSpringShadowLaysShiningSnowKneesParksDiamondWornSoberLeafsJewelsOaksOak TreeSapphiresAmethyst
Book:Mirror of the Heart: Poems of Sara Teasdale
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“From my spirit's gray defeat, From my pulse's flagging beat, From my hopes that turned to sand Sifting through my close-clenched hand, From my own fault's slavery, If I can sing, I still am free. For with my singing I can make A refuge for my spirit's sake, A house of shining words, to be My fragile immortality.”

IfsStillsI CanHandsSpiritHouseMy OwnBeatsSingingSlaveryShiningFaultsSakeDefeatImmortalitySandGrayFragileRefugePulseSifting
Book:Love Songs
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“As dew leaves the cobweb lightly Threaded with stars, Scattering jewels on the fence And the pasture bars; As dawn leaves the dry grass bright And the tangled weeds Bearing a rainbow gem On each of their seeds; So has your love, my lover, Fresh as the dawn, Made me a shining road To travel on, Set every common sight Of tree or stone Delicately alight For me alone.”

MadeStarsCommonTreeLoversStonesSightShiningSeedsBarsDawnGrassDryWeedRainbowFenceJewelsDewMe AloneGemsTangledPasturesMy LoverCobwebs
Book:Love Songs
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“This is the spot where I will lie When life has had enough of me, These are the grasses that will blow Above me like a living sea. These gay old lilies will not shrink To draw their life from death of mine, And I will give my body's fire To make blue flowers on this vine. "O Soul," I said, "have you no tears? Was not the body dear to you?" I heard my soul say carelessly, "The myrtle flowers will grow more blue.”

GivingSaidSoulEnoughBodyLyingGrowsFireHeardSeaTearsMinesFlowerGayDrawsBlueDearBlowSpotsMy SoulGrassShrinksLiliesHad EnoughVinesMyrtle
Book:Love Songs
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