The Answer
Published in Poem Of The Day
When I go back to earth
And all my joyous body
Puts off the red and white
That once had been so proud,
If men should pass above
With false and feeble pity,
My dust will find a voice
To answer them aloud:
"Be still, I am content,
Take back your poor compassion,
Joy was a flame in me
Too steady to destroy;
Lithe as a bending reed
Loving the storm that sways her-
I found more joy in sorrow
Than you could find in joy."
About the Poem
"The Answer," which was originally published in October of 1915, is a companion to Teasdale's poem "Leaves."
About Sara Teasdale
Sara Teasdale was born in Saint Louis in 1884. She published four collections of poetry, including "Love Songs," which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1918. Teasdale died in New York City in 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[at]poets.org.
This poem is in the public domain. Distributed by King Features Syndicate
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