I am not yours, not lost in you,
Not lost, altho’ I long to be
Lost as a candle lit at noon,
Lost as a snow-flake in the sea.
You love me, and I find you still
A spirit beautiful and bright,
Yet I am I, who long to be
Lost as a light is lost in light.
Oh plunge me deep in love—put out
My senses, leave me deaf and blind,
Swept by the tempest of your love,
A taper in a rushing wind.
Originally published in Rivers to the Sea (1915) by Sara Teasdale. Public domain.
Analysis
Collected in Rivers to the Sea (1915), this signature lyric shows Teasdale’s gift for simple images that carry complex emotional and spiritual desire.
The poem dramatizes a paradox: the speaker insists on individuality even as she craves complete surrender. Images of light — candle, snowflake, taper — suggest a yearning to dissolve into love without annihilating the self.
The final surge of metaphor (“a taper in a rushing wind”) balances ecstasy with danger, capturing Teasdale’s poised intensity.