Sara Teasdale - Love Songs: ‘And when I think of you, I am at rest

Sara Trevor Teasdale was born on August 8, 1884 in St Louis, Missouri. A woman of poor health it was only at 14 that she was well enough to begin school. Her education finished in 1903 at Hosmer Hall and her first poetry publication was in 1907 with her second book in 1911. She was courted by various men among them Vachel Lindsay, a great poet but one who thought he could not provide a suitable standard of living for Sara so she married Ernst Filsinger in 1914. Sara’s third poetry collection, ‘Rivers to the Sea’, was published in 1915 and was a best seller, being reprinted many times.

A year later, in 1916 the married couple moved to New York City.

In 1917 she released the poetry collection ‘Love Songs’ and the following year it won three awards: the Columbia University Poetry Society prize, the 1918 Pulitzer Prize for poetry and the annual prize of the Poetry Society of America.

By 1929 Sara was deeply unhappy and lonely so she moved out of state for three months in order to gain a divorce. She did not wish to inform Filsinger, and only at the insistence of her lawyers as the divorce was going through did she. Filsinger was naturally shocked and surprised to now discover the truth.

After her divorce Sara remained in New York City and resumed her friendship with Vachel Lindsay, who was by this time married with children.

1931 Vachel Lindsay committed suicide. Two year on 29th January 1933 Sara Teasdale, at the age of 48, committed suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills. She is buried in the Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis.