Such Were Syllables That Possessed May ~

Born on August 8, 1884 in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. her first published poem appeared in the St. Louis, Missouri, weekly Reedy’s Mirror in May 1907 and later her first volume of verse, Sonnets to Duse, and Other Poems during the same year. Sara Trevor Teasdale's poems were noted for their classical simplicity and quiet intensity. She wrote technically excellent, pure, openhearted lyrics usually in such conventional verse forms as quatrains or sonnets. Her growth as a poet is nonetheless evident in Flame and Shadow (1920), Dark of the Moon (1926), and Stars To-night (1930).

For today's challenge, I want you to draw inspiration from the poem above and write one of your own as blossoms arrive like cream cheese frosting on trees in delectable yellows and pinks.

Choose your own form or write in free verse, if preferred. I look forward to reading what you guys come up with. Please do visit others and remember to comment on their poems. Have fun!🍰

A Birthday in August ~ Sara Teasdale

Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933)
Public Domain

Sara Teasdale was born on 8 August 1884 and died after over-dosing on barbiturates in 1933. Teasdale's work has always been characterized by its simplicity and clarity, her use of classical forms, and her passionate and romantic subject matter. Read more at Poets.org, which also provides a selection of her poetry.

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Her poetry centred on a woman's changing perspectives on beauty love and death and served to chart the development of her own existence, from living a sheltered life in St Louis to attaining success as a well-known poet living in New York City, who had to face a struggle with depression and disillusionment.

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Critics found much of Teasdale's poetry to be unsophisticated but full of musical language and evocative emotion.A New York Times Book Review contributor, writing about the 1917 edition of Love Songs, asserted that "Miss Teasdale is first, last, and always a singer." After her death, Louis Untermeyer (reviewing her collection in Saturday Review of Literature) insisted that Strange Victory "must be ranked among her significant works," that its "beauty is in the restraint" of its "ever-present though never elaborated theme."  Read more at The Poetry Foundation.

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I leave you with the words of this remarkable woman, as inspiration for poetry of your own this Sunday. Please link new poetry, written specifically for this prompt, and a link back to Real Toads. For those who would like to share related work or a piece from their archives, our Open Link is a forum available from 12.00AM CST every Monday.