[1198] The Tree of Song

Guest poem sent in by Priscilla Jebaraj <prisci25@>, who writes:

i just loved the last poem (Each in his own Tongue, Poem #1197): as you
said, both the imagery and attitude are lovely. i was looking for another
poem i once read on finding God in the world around us, in our daily lives;
but i just couldn't find it, even with a google search. i'm sure i've got a
hard copy somewhere, so maybe i'll send it some other time.

but when i did that google search, i discovered this other gem of a poem, and
just had to send it:

I sang my songs for the rest,
For you I am still;
The tree of my song is bare
On its shining hill.

For you came like a lordly wind,
And the leaves were whirled
Far as forgotten things
Past the rim of the world.

The tree of my song stands bare
Against the blue --
I gave my songs to the rest,
Myself to you.

      -- Sara Teasdale

Something about this poem just struck a chord within me, but i'm not sure i
can explain WHY i like it in a very intelligible manner. there's just
something about it... of its image of a love that sweeps you off your feet,
so much so that the usual expressions of love seem insignificant. and a love
which requires the gift of oneself.

maybe i'm over-reacting to what is after all a simple love poem, (and no,
i'm *not* in love right now!) but i just liked the poem.

priscilla

i found lots more teasdale poems on the net, but precious little
biographical material. here's what i got from the mount holyoke college
archives:

  Sara Teasdale, an American poet, was born in 1884 in Saint Louis, Missouri
  to John W. Teasdale and Mary E. Willard. She was tutored at home and then
  graduated from a local private school in 1903. In 1905 she visited Europe
  and in 1907 she published her first collection of poems. In 1911, the
  publication of "Helen of Troy" introduced her to Louis Untermeyer, who,
  with his wife Jean, was to become a lifelong friend. On December 19, 1914,
  she married Ernst B. Filsinger. They divorced fifteen years later.
  Following the divorce, she published numerous volumes of poetry. Sara
  Teasdale committed suicide on January 29, 1933 in New York.

and here's a link to her poems:

  http://www.poemhunter.com/p/t/poet.asp?poet=3104

priscilla

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From: "Supriya Nair" <nair_supriya@>

'lordly wind' - Good God! THAT is, if ever, one of the most dramatic,
effective ways to describe the feeling. *applause*

From: "Supriya Nair" <nair_supriya@>

'lordly wind' - Good God! THAT is, if ever, one of the most dramatic,
effective ways to describe the feeling. *applause*