#MIDDLEBURY
To E
Sara Teasdale
The door was opened and I saw you there
And for the first time heard you speak my name.
Then like the sun your sweetness overcame
My shy and shadowy mood; I was aware
That joy was hidden in your happy hair,
And that for you love held no hint of shame;
My eyes caught light from yours, within whose flame
Humor and passion have an equal share.
How many times since then have I not seen
Your great eyes widen when you talk of love,
And darken slowly with a fair desire;
How many time since then your soul has been
Clear to my gaze as curving skies above,
Wearing like them a raiment made of fire.
About this poem
“To E” was first published in Vol. 1, No. 2, of The Little Review in April of 1914.
About Sara Teasdale
Sara Teasdale was born on Aug. 8, 1884, in St. Louis. In 1918 she won the Pulitzer Prize for her book “Love Songs” (Macmillan Company, 1917). Teasdale died on Jan. 29, 1933.
The Academy of American Poets is a nonprofit, mission-driven organization, whose aim is to make poetry available to a wider audience. Email The Academy at poem-a-day@poets.org.
This poem is in the public domain. Published in Poem-a-Day, www.poets.org. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.
