Poet Sara Teasdale’s poem “Joy” exudes a wondrous spirituality that one might expect only from a God-realized saint.
Joy
I am wild, I will sing to the trees,
I will sing to the stars in the sky,
I love, and am loved, he is mine,
Now at last I can die!
I am sandaled with wind and with flame,
I have heart-fire and singing to give,
I can tread on the grass or the stars,
Now at last I can live!
Even though the speaker of Teasdale’s poem might be celebrating affection for a spouse, that intense love motivates the speaker to transcend the pull of the earth, and she “can tread on the grass or the stars.”
This late 19th century American poet, born in St. Louis on August 8, 1884, sounds like a great ancient yoga master as she declaims her joy: “I am wild, / I will sing to the trees, / I will sing to the stars in the sky.” In his chant “Divine Gypsy” the great yogi-saint Paramahansa Yogananda sings:
I will be a gypsy,
Roam, roam, and roam!
I will sing a song that none has sung.
I will sing to the sky;
I will sing to the wind,
I'll sing to my red cloud.
Notice that natural objects have inspired both the American poet and the great Indian yogi-saint, and they both sing to them; the yogi sings to the sky and the poet sings to the stars in the sky. A great love inspires both as they create their poetic celebrations.
Sara Teasdale (1884–1933) is an important American poet, whose lyrics have brought spiritual comfort and healing beauty to many young women suffering the pain of lost love. One of her most anthologized poems is “Barter,” which I had the pleasure of studying as a freshman in college; the poem appeared in the 1963 second edition of Laurence Perrine’s widely studied Sound and Sense; Perrine remained loyal to the poem, including it through the eighth edition:
Barter
Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children's faces looking up
Holding wonder like a cup.
Life has loveliness to sell,
Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.
Spend all you have for loveliness,
Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstasy
Give all you have been, or could be.
Those two hauntingly beautiful lines, “And for your spirit's still delight, / Holy thoughts that star the night,” portray the worshiping state of every meditating soul. Meditation requires both stillness and concentration on “Holy thoughts.”
Teasdale was home-schooled but graduated from Hosmer Hall in 1903. She often traveled to Chicago, where she joined Harriet Monroe's Poetry magazine circle. The St. Louis, Missouri, weekly Reedy's Mirror published her first poem in May 1907. That same year saw publication of her first book, Sonnets to Duse, and Other Poems. Her second book of poetry, Helen of Troy, and Other Poems, came out in 1911.
She was courted by poet Vachel Lindsay but married Ernst Filsinger in 1914. In 1915 her third collection of poems, Rivers to the Sea, was published. In 1916 she and her husband moved to New York City. In 1918 she was awarded the Columbia University Poetry Society prize (forerunner of the Pulitzer Prize for poetry) and the annual prize of the Poetry Society of America for Love Songs (1917). She served as the editor of two anthologies, The Answering Voice: One Hundred Love Lyrics by Women (1917), and Rainbow Gold for Children (1922).
She published three additional volumes of poetry, Flame and Shadow (1920), Dark of the Moon (1926), and Stars To-night (1930). Her Strange Victory was published posthumously, and a final volume, Collected Poems, came out in 1937.
For a look at the special meaning this poet holds for her fans, visit Bonnie Hamre's Sara Teasdale Page. Also read about the poet's induction into the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
Reference:
“Joy” by Sara Teasdale
Cosmic Chants by Paramahansa Yogananda
Chant traditions from many cultures are being recognized today not only for their intrinsic beauty but also for their spiritual power. Sri Yogananda, a pioneer in introducing India’s art of devotional chanting to the West, explains how it helps to quiet and focus the mind in preparation for meditation. This book contains words and music to more than 50 of his original chants.
“Barter” from Laurence Perrine's Sound and Sense, Eighth Edition
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Books by Linda Sue Grimes:
Singing in the Silence: Poems of Faith
In 1978, I began studying the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda. I still study those teachings and strive to practice what I learn. I think of my writing as an extension and reinforcement of my spiritual studies. I am especially happy when the poems focus on my spiritual journey, as those in this volume do. I want to take sadness and turn it into joy, and I want to take anger and turn it into acceptance. But mostly, I want to acknowledge the beauty and mystery of God's presence in creation.Jiggery Jee's Eden Valley Stories
Hello, my name is Jiggery-Jee. I live in Eden Valley. Eden Valley is located in the very center of the Land of the Imagination. Surrounding Eden Valley are such places as Tulip Grove, Carrot Valley, Bunnyville, Faultner Grove, and Flower Town. We have many residents in Eden Valley who came to the Valley from the surrounding places. They come here because Eden Valley is peaceful. All of the residents of Eden Valley work and play and live in an atmosphere of harmony. The weather is always perfect; the sun shines when we need sun, and the rain rains when we need rain. However, I must warn you that although things really are peaceful and harmonious in Eden Valley, sometimes they do not start out that way; we often have to work to make life peaceful and harmonious._____________________________________________________________________________
