by Reda Gotham

Created on: April 17, 2008

Gone before her time, is the only way to truly describe Sara Teasdale. Her passion for poetry has been an inspiration to many throughout the years, but primarily the earlier part of the 20th century. Sara's themes of poems spanned from topics on love, nature and even death.

A writer's best work comes as a result of life experiences. Sara Teasdale was no different. As a child born in St. Louis in 1884, she remained in poor health until she was nine. At that time she was finally allowed to attend a private school that was close to home. Sara went on to college at Hosmer Hall where she graduated in 1903. At this time her primary influences included the Italian actress Eleanora Duse, American poet Emily Dickenson and English Poet Christina Rossetti.

Some of her life accomplishments included forming a literary association called "The Potters" along with several other women. The publication that they produced was called "the Potter's Wheel". In the year 1918 she won the Columbia University poetry Society prize and the annual prize of the Poetry Society of America for her "Love Songs" collection.

It was not just her poetry that was known regarding Sara Teasdale. She had several emotional relationships with both men and women which she often highlighted in her poetry. During the year of 1913 she was pursued by two men, poet Vachel Lindsay and a wealthy businessman Ernst Filsinger. Although she loved Lindsay, he was far too eccentric for her so in 1914, she chose to accept the hand of Filsinger. Unfortunately she later regretted that decision as the marriage was not a happy one and it ultimately ended in divorce. However one of the leading causes for the divorce was her outward relationship with a young poetess, Margaret Conklin.

Prior to her divorce, she remained platonic friends with Vachel Lindsay and was the inspiration for several of his poems. Vachel committed suicide in 1931 and that coupled with her failing health caused Sara to fall into a deep depression. On January 29, 1933, Sara Teasdale took an overdose of sleeping pills and lay down in a bath never to awaken again.

Her collection of poetry still lives on, including her poem to Margaret Conklin that was published posthumously amongst her collection called Strange Victory'. Sara Teasdale was inducted in the St Louis Walk of Fame and was laid to rest in the Bellefontaine Cemetery located in St. Louis.

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