The Collected Poems of Sara Teasdale

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Summary: A great source for one of America's premier poets.
Review: An excellent collection of poems by Sara Teasdale, one of the early 20th Century's forgotten poets. Unlike most poets, Teasdale uses classical rhyming and form for her work. However, I found that the poems seemed free and fluid, more so than other modern efforts. These poems will definately touch the romantic side, I recommend Teasdale to anyone who loves romance and sensual writing.

Rating:
Summary: For any Teasdale lover, this book is a MUST HAVE!
Review: I have an original copy of this book, given to me by my Grandfather, a retired English professor. It gathers all of Teasdale's finest works into one wonderful collection. From 'The Poor House' to 'The Metropolitan Tower' to 'Barter', some of her finest poems are in this collection. And now, I am purchasing another copy for my best friend!

Rating:
Summary: For any Teasdale lover, this book is a MUST HAVE!
Review: I have an original copy of this book, given to me by my Grandfather, a retired English professor. It gathers all of Teasdale's finest works into one wonderful collection. From 'The Poor House' to 'The Metropolitan Tower' to 'Barter', some of her finest poems are in this collection. And now, I am purchasing another copy for my best friend!

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Summary: Amazing Poetry!!!
Review: I own a copy of this book from around 1943. I love her poetry and think it is a beautiful example of American Poetry. I hope others agree!!!!

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Summary: Sara Teasdale, ISBN 1-56849-345-2
Review: The book is beautifully bound, has a detailed table of contents, and an index of first lines. It is refreshing to have the poems presented without heavy-handed footnotes and biographical intrusions, but the book doesn't have an editor's name on it, nor does it have an explanatory foreword.

It would be useful to know whether or not these poems were the ones that Miss Teasdale authorized, or if someone chose to pull them out of her trash can after she died. Were they reconstructed from notebooks? Was anything omitted or added to the original manuscripts?

It can be a long way from first draft to final version. Unhappy experiences with gonzo editions of Shakespeare, Haendel's "Messiah," and "Billy Budd" have taught me to beware of invisible editors.

Rating:
Summary: A romantic's heart
Review: The tragic Sara Teasdale was one of the foremost female poets of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with her formal style and focus on romance. "The Collected Poems of Sara Teasdale" brings together all eight of her books, although the sole focus of her poetry gets a bit tiring after awhile.

Although the early twentieth century saw the blossoming of the "new" poetry, Teasdale stuck to more formal prose: "The fountain shivers lightly in the rain/the laurels drip, the fading roses fall/the marble satyr plays a mournful strain/That leaves the rainy fragrance musical." Not terribly original in HOW it's written, but the rich language is all the more striking.

Over time her style became a bit more experimental ("while your kisses and the flowers/falling, falling/tangled my hair"), but she usually stuck to the same rhyme schemes and simple language. And the final poem of the collection seems sad when one considers that she committed suicide: "I will make this world of my devising/out of a dream in my lonely mind/I shall find the crystal of peace,-- above me/stars I shall find."

Teasdale never actually had a successful romance in her life, but she was obviously in love with love. "When I am not with you/I am alone/for there is no one else/and there is nothing/that comforts me but you," she writes late in the volume. Imagine having that written to you, or at least given to illustrate the feelings.

Almost every poem in the eight books deals with romance, lovers, and how much she adored both. In fact, after awhile it gets a little tedious; it's a good idea to read it slowly, in chunks. However, Teasdale's love poetry is extremely beautiful and richly written, so that it's hard not to get dewy-eyed when reading them individually.

"The Collected Poems of Sara Teasdale" is a rich read, beautifully written and full of flowers, stars, dark rooms and unnamed lovers. A beautifully romantic read, though too intense to be read in one setting.