BARTER : A POEM

 

                BARTER : A POEM

“Barter” is the title of a  famous poem written by the American poet Sara Teasdale. She was born on 8 August 1884 and died of pneumonia which ultimately  became the cause of suicide on 29 January 1933.

She authored several anthologies of poems in a very simple language.

            The word ‘‘Barter” literally means :” to exchange goods, property, services, etc. for other goods without using money. “

Sara’s poem is about buying loveliness of life by spending all we have.

             Most of the people sayl that life has no loveliness. The whole  world in which we spend our allotted time is a place of suffering and unattractiveness. Sara Teasdale’s view is different. She believes that : “Life has loveliness to sell,/All beautiful and splendid  things.“ The truth is that we do not use our eyes to see them.

Here is the full text of Sara’s poem:-

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,

Holly 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.

                                    *******

G.R.Kanwal

12 June 2024