Sara Teasdale
Popular to Public, Not to Critics
About Sara Teasdale
Sara was born in St. Louis Missouri on August 8, 1884. She had 3 older sibling 2 brothers and one sister. She was a "frail" person and because of the she would get sick very easily. Because of this she was home schooled up until she was nine. Her first interaction with her peers was when she was ten because she was always with nurses and other adults. She began writing down her thoughts at age 15. Her first poem was published in a local news paper and was called "Reedy's Mirror". In 1914 Sara had found love and married Ernst Filsinger. In 1933, Sara became very sick a gain and chronic pneumonia took over. after being sick for a while she decided to commit suicide.
Through out her life critics didn't take her work seriously, but she was still a very popular poet of her time.
Eight O'Clock
Eight O'Clock is a short poem that describes a woman's day. It tell of what she does with the simplest wording. It also shows how much time she really did have with her love because of the time he must spend at work to support her.
Gray Eyes
This poem makes me think of that moment like in a book where two stranger lock eyes from across the room and something click. Its the moment when they begin to talk to the time when there living happily together in a little house. I don't know what Sara want this poem to mean but to me its the beginning and the end of a love story in 12 short lines.
Driftwood
The poem uses personification to describe her personality or "spirit" in a why that a flame burns. During the poem she states that her fathers started the flame but the one that helped control and shape it was her "lover". In many of Sara's poems she refers to her lover as someone that has shaped her, helped her and also someone she depends on for a lot of things.
The Kiss
During this poem she is saying that she is a weak bird. So weak that she can't make it to the south for the winter. I believe that she is trying to describe how she felt during the years she couldn't go to school because she was to ill and when she became very ill again with chronic pneumonia. Then she says that finally the kiss she been waiting for isn't as great as the dreams she had. But i think the dreams she's referring to are the ones of her being able to get better. Not just meeting her lover.