'A Cry' by Sara Teasdale
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Oh, there are eyes that he can see,And hands to make his hands rejoice,
But to my lover I must beOnly a voice.Oh, there are breasts to bear his head,And lips whereon his lips can lie,
But I must be till I am deadOnly a cry.
Editor 1 Interpretation
A Cry by Sara Teasdale: A Heartfelt Expression of Pain and Longing
Sara Teasdale's poem "A Cry" is a poignant and deeply emotional expression of pain and longing. Through her use of powerful imagery and vivid language, Teasdale conveys the speaker's intense sense of loss and her desperate desire for comfort and solace. At once personal and universal, "A Cry" speaks to the human experience of suffering and the need for empathy and compassion.
The Power of Imagery and Language
At the heart of Teasdale's poem is her skillful use of imagery and language to convey the speaker's emotions. From the opening lines, the reader is drawn into the speaker's world of darkness and despair:
Out of a great need
We are all holding hands
And climbing.
The image of people holding hands and climbing together suggests a sense of unity and shared struggle, but also a feeling of being lost and searching for direction. The use of the word "need" underscores the urgency of the situation, as if the speaker and her companions are in a state of emergency.
As the poem continues, Teasdale employs a variety of powerful images to convey the speaker's emotions. For example, she writes:
We have not long to love.
Light does not stay.
The image of light fading away suggests the impermanence of life and the fleeting nature of happiness. This is a theme that recurs throughout the poem, as the speaker reflects on the transience of love and the inevitability of loss.
The Search for Comfort and Solace
Central to "A Cry" is the speaker's search for comfort and solace in the face of her pain. She writes:
We have only this moment
Sparkling like a star in our hand
And melting like a snowflake.
The image of the moment sparkling like a star suggests the preciousness of life and the beauty of the present moment. Yet the image of the moment melting like a snowflake also suggests its fragility and ephemerality. This tension between beauty and impermanence is a central theme of the poem.
As the poem continues, the speaker reflects on the various ways in which people seek comfort and solace in times of pain. She writes:
We search the sky
When a new star appears
And when a siren sounds on the street
We look for a house
To shelter us,
We are strangers here.
The image of searching the sky for a new star suggests a sense of hope and wonder in the face of adversity. Yet the image of looking for a house to shelter us suggests a sense of vulnerability and dislocation. The speaker's use of the phrase "We are strangers here" suggests a feeling of being lost and out of place in the world.
The Universal Human Experience
Ultimately, what makes "A Cry" such a powerful and moving poem is its universality. Though the poem is deeply personal, it speaks to the universal human experience of suffering and the need for empathy and compassion. The speaker writes:
Give us a land of peace
Where the weak are not exploited,
Where the peacekeepers are honoured
And respected,
Where the right of every man
And woman
Is held sacred
And all people live in freedom
From fear and want.
These lines express a desire for a world in which all people are treated with dignity and respect, and in which justice and compassion prevail. This is a sentiment that resonates with readers of all backgrounds and cultures, and speaks to the basic human need for security, freedom, and love.
Conclusion
In "A Cry," Sara Teasdale has crafted a deeply emotional and powerful poem that speaks to the universal human experience of suffering and longing. Through her use of vivid imagery and expressive language, Teasdale conveys the speaker's pain and desire for comfort and solace, while also highlighting the beauty and fragility of life. Ultimately, the poem's message of hope and compassion speaks to the human desire for a world in which all people are treated with dignity and respect, and in which love and compassion triumph over fear and despair.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Poetry has the power to evoke emotions and transport us to different worlds. One such poem that has stood the test of time is "A Cry" by Sara Teasdale. This classic poem is a beautiful and poignant expression of the human experience of pain and longing. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, structure, and language of "A Cry" and understand why it continues to resonate with readers even after a century.
The poem "A Cry" was first published in 1915 in Teasdale's collection, "Rivers to the Sea." The poem is a short but powerful expression of the speaker's pain and longing for a lost love. The poem is divided into two stanzas, each with four lines. The first stanza sets the scene and establishes the speaker's emotional state, while the second stanza expresses the speaker's longing and desperation.
The poem begins with the line, "I cried over beautiful things knowing no beautiful thing lasts." This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem and establishes the theme of impermanence. The speaker is aware that everything beautiful in life is fleeting and that nothing lasts forever. This realization is the source of the speaker's pain and sadness.
The second line of the poem, "The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper sunburned woman," is a beautiful and vivid image that captures the speaker's attention. The image of the field of cornflower yellow is a metaphor for the beauty of life, while the copper sunburned woman represents the impermanence of that beauty. The woman's scarf is a symbol of the transience of life, and the speaker's tears are a recognition of this fact.
The third line of the poem, "The mother of the yearling, the foal, and the calf," is a reference to the cycle of life and death. The mother represents the continuity of life, while the yearling, foal, and calf represent the new life that is born and dies every day. The speaker is aware of this cycle and is saddened by the fact that everything beautiful in life is subject to this cycle.
The final line of the first stanza, "Oh, no matter how beautiful, eventually they just wither and fall," is a powerful statement that captures the essence of the poem. The speaker is acknowledging the fact that everything beautiful in life eventually fades away and dies. This realization is the source of the speaker's pain and sadness.
The second stanza of the poem begins with the line, "I cried over sorrows, forgetting joys." This line is a reflection of the speaker's emotional state. The speaker is so consumed by their pain and sadness that they have forgotten the joys of life. This line is a reminder that even in the midst of pain and sorrow, there is still beauty and joy to be found.
The second line of the second stanza, "I cried over sins, forgetting virtues," is a reflection of the speaker's guilt and shame. The speaker is so consumed by their pain and sadness that they have forgotten the good things they have done in life. This line is a reminder that even in the midst of guilt and shame, there is still goodness and virtue to be found.
The third line of the second stanza, "I cried over the riven veil of beauty, forgetting its veil of dust," is a reference to the transience of beauty. The speaker is aware that even the most beautiful things in life are subject to decay and destruction. This line is a reminder that even in the midst of beauty, there is still the reality of death and decay.
The final line of the poem, "Oh, pitch-black despair, I cry to thee," is a powerful statement that captures the speaker's desperation and longing. The speaker is so consumed by their pain and sadness that they are crying out to despair itself. This line is a reminder that even in the midst of despair, there is still the possibility of hope and redemption.
The language of "A Cry" is simple yet powerful. The poem is written in free verse, which allows Teasdale to express her emotions in a raw and unfiltered way. The use of metaphors and symbols throughout the poem adds depth and meaning to the speaker's words. The repetition of the word "cry" throughout the poem emphasizes the speaker's emotional state and adds to the overall impact of the poem.
In conclusion, "A Cry" by Sara Teasdale is a beautiful and poignant expression of the human experience of pain and longing. The poem captures the essence of impermanence and the transience of beauty in a powerful and emotional way. The language of the poem is simple yet powerful, and the use of metaphors and symbols adds depth and meaning to the speaker's words. Even after a century, "A Cry" continues to resonate with readers and remind us of the beauty and fragility of life.
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