“I Am Not Yours” by Sarah Teasdale: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “I Am Not Yours” by Sarah Teasdale

“I Am Not Yours” by Sarah Teasdale, first published in 1915 as part of her collection “Rivers to the Sea,” explores the intricate dynamics of love and the human desire for both connection and independence. The poem’s vivid imagery, such as a candle burning brightly at noon or a snowflake dissolving in the vast sea, masterfully captures the longing to be fully immersed in love while preserving a distinct sense of self. The poem’s evocative language and universally relatable theme have contributed to its lasting popularity, making it a staple in American poetry anthologies and discussions.

Text: “I Am Not Yours” by Sarah Teasdale

I am not yours, not lost in you,
Not lost, although I long to be
Lost as a candle lit at noon,
Lost as a snowflake 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.

Annotations: “I Am Not Yours” by Sarah Teasdale

Line	Annotation
1	The speaker asserts their independence and emphasizes their separateness.
2	Despite asserting independence, there’s a desire to be lost in the other.
3	This simile suggests a desire for complete immersion and unity.
4	Emphasizes the desire for complete dissolution into something vast.
5	Acknowledges the lover’s affection, while maintaining individuality.
6	The lover is perceived as radiant, yet the speaker maintains autonomy.
7	Restates the longing for complete absorption into the beloved.
8	Metaphorically wishes to be consumed by love, losing awareness.
9	Desires to be overwhelmed by love, losing the ability to perceive.
10	Imagery of being swept away by the intensity of love, like a candle.
11	Compares oneself to a small flame in a powerful wind, symbolizing vulnerability.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “I Am Not Yours” by Sarah Teasdale

Device	Example from the Poem	Explanation
Analogy	“Lost as a candle lit at noon, / Lost as a snowflake in the sea” (lines 3-4)	Compares the speaker’s desire to be lost in love to a candle and snowflake, highlighting the fragility and impermanence of love.
Anaphora	“Lost…Lost” (lines 3-4)	Repetition of the word “lost” emphasizes the speaker’s longing to be consumed by love.
Enjambment	“I am not yours, not lost in you, / Not lost, although I long to be” (lines 1-2)	The sentence continues into the next line without punctuation, creating a sense of flow and continuity.
Hyperbole	“Put out / My senses, leave me deaf and blind” (lines 9-10)	Exaggeration emphasizes the speaker’s desire to be completely consumed by love.
Imagery	“A candle lit at noon”, “a snowflake in the sea” (lines 3-4)	Vivid descriptions create powerful images in the reader’s mind.
Irony	“I am not yours, not lost in you” (line 1)	The speaker asserts independence while expressing a desire to be lost in love.
Juxtaposition	“I am not yours… / Yet I am I, who long to be” (lines 1 and 7)	Contrasts the speaker’s independence with their desire for unity.
Metaphor	“You love me, and I find you still / A spirit beautiful and bright” (lines 5-6)	Compares the beloved to a radiant spirit, highlighting their beauty and essence.
Oxymoron	“Lost…although I long to be” (line 2)	Combines opposing ideas (lost and found) to convey the speaker’s contradictory desires.
Personification	“A taper in a rushing wind” (line 12)	Compares the speaker to a fragile candle, emphasizing their vulnerability in love.
Repetition	“Lost…Lost” (lines 3-4)	Emphasizes the speaker’s longing to be consumed by love.
Simile	“Lost as a candle lit at noon, / Lost as a snowflake in the sea” (lines 3-4)	Compares the speaker’s desire to be lost in love to a candle and snowflake, highlighting the fragility and impermanence of love.
Symbolism	“Candle”, “snowflake”, “sea” (lines 3-4)	Objects represent the fragility, impermanence, and vastness of love.
Synecdoche	“My senses” (line 9)	Uses a part (senses) to represent the whole (the speaker’s entire being).

Themes: “I Am Not Yours” by Sarah Teasdale

• Theme 1: The Desire for Immersive Love
  The poem expresses a deep longing for immersive love, where the speaker yearns to be completely consumed by their emotions. This is evident in lines such as “Lost as a candle lit at noon, / Lost as a snowflake in the sea” (lines 3-4), which suggest a desire to be fully absorbed in love, like a candle burning brightly or a snowflake dissolving in the ocean.
• Theme 2: The Importance of Individual Identity
  Despite the desire for immersive love, the speaker also emphasizes the importance of maintaining their individual identity. This is clear in lines such as “I am not yours, not lost in you, / Not lost, although I long to be” (lines 1-2), which assert the speaker’s autonomy and independence.
• Theme 3: The Beauty of the Beloved
  The poem also celebrates the beauty and radiance of the beloved, with lines such as “You love me, and I find you still / A spirit beautiful and bright” (lines 5-6). This theme highlights the speaker’s admiration and adoration for their loved one.
• Theme 4: The Intensity of Passionate Love
  Finally, the poem explores the intense and all-consuming nature of passionate love, with lines such as “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” (lines 9-12). This theme conveys the speaker’s desire to be completely swept up in their emotions and overwhelmed by their love.

Literary Theories and “I Am Not Yours” by Sarah Teasdale

Critical Questions about “I Am Not Yours” by Sarah Teasdale

• How does the speaker navigate the tension between longing for unity with the beloved and asserting their individuality throughout the poem?
• The speaker expresses a desire to be “lost as a candle lit at noon” and “lost as a snowflake in the sea,” indicating a yearning for complete immersion in the beloved’s presence. However, despite this longing, they repeatedly assert their independence, stating “I am not yours” and emphasizing their individuality with lines like “Yet I am I, who long to be / Lost as a light is lost in light.” This tension between longing for unity and maintaining autonomy raises questions about the nature of love and identity portrayed in the poem.
• What role does imagery play in conveying the speaker’s emotions and desires?
• hroughout the poem, vivid imagery is employed to evoke the speaker’s sense of longing and desire. For instance, the image of being “lost as a snowflake in the sea” paints a picture of insignificance and longing for dissolution into something vast and encompassing. Similarly, the metaphor of being “lost as a candle lit at noon” suggests an impossibility or contradiction, highlighting the speaker’s yearning for unity amidst the stark reality of individuality. These images not only evoke strong emotions but also invite readers to contemplate the complexities of human longing and connection.
• How does the use of sound devices contribute to the poem’s overall effect?
• Teasdale employs various sound devices, such as alliteration, assonance, and consonance, to enhance the musicality and rhythm of the poem. For example, the repetition of the “l” sound in “Lost as a candle lit at noon” creates a melodic quality that adds to the poem’s lyrical nature. Additionally, the use of consonance in phrases like “rushing wind” not only creates a soothing effect but also reinforces the imagery of being swept away by the intensity of love. These sound devices not only enrich the auditory experience of the poem but also serve to underscore its themes of longing and desire.
• What is the significance of the poem’s structure and form in conveying its message?
• The poem consists of four quatrains, each with a consistent ABAB rhyme scheme, contributing to its overall coherence and symmetry. This structured form mirrors the speaker’s attempt to reconcile conflicting desires for unity and individuality. Additionally, the use of enjambment, where lines flow seamlessly into each other without punctuation, creates a sense of fluidity and continuity, echoing the theme of longing and the elusive nature of love. Furthermore, the repetition of the phrase “I am not yours” throughout the poem serves as a refrain, reinforcing the speaker’s assertion of autonomy amidst the overwhelming desire for connection. Overall, the poem’s structure and form enhance its thematic depth and emotional impact, inviting readers to ponder the complexities of love and identity.

Topics, Questions, and Thesis Statement about “I Am Not Yours” by Sarah Teasdale

Topic	Question	Thesis Statement
Love and Autonomy	How does the speaker navigate the tension between desire for love and need for autonomy?	“In ‘I Am Not Yours,’ Sarah Teasdale explores the complex interplay between love and autonomy, ultimately affirming the importance of maintaining individual identity within romantic relationships.”
Imagery and Symbolism	What role do natural imagery and symbolism play in conveying the speaker’s emotions and desires?	“Through the strategic use of natural imagery and symbolism, Teasdale’s poem creates a rich and evocative landscape that reflects the speaker’s longing for immersive love and their desire for self-preservation.”
Paradox and Irony	How does the speaker’s use of paradox and irony reveal the contradictions and complexities of love?	“In ‘I Am Not Yours,’ Teasdale employs paradox and irony to expose the inherent contradictions of love, highlighting the speaker’s conflicting desires for union and independence.”
Feminine Identity and Agency	How does the poem reflect or challenge traditional gender roles and expectations of women in relationships?	“Teasdale’s poem subverts traditional gender norms by asserting the speaker’s agency and autonomy in the face of romantic love, offering a nuanced and empowering portrayal of feminine identity.”

Literary Works Similar to “I Am Not Yours” by Sarah Teasdale

1. “Wild Nights – Wild Nights!” by Emily Dickinson: Similar to Teasdale’s poem, Dickinson explores the passionate intensity of love and the desire for complete immersion, using vivid imagery of storms and wild seas to convey the overwhelming nature of desire.
2. “Love is not all” by Edna St. Vincent Millay: Millay’s sonnet delves into the complexities of love, acknowledging its importance while also recognizing that it cannot fulfill every human need. Like Teasdale, Millay uses contrasting imagery to convey the paradoxical nature of love.
3. “Sonnet 43” (“How do I love thee?”) by Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Browning’s famous sonnet also explores the multifaceted nature of love, expressing the speaker’s desire to be completely consumed by love while also maintaining a sense of individual devotion.
4. “Love’s Philosophy” by Percy Bysshe Shelley: Shelley’s poem similarly explores the yearning for union with the beloved, using natural imagery to express the speaker’s desire to be merged with the object of their affection.
5. “When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be” by John Keats: While not explicitly about romantic love, Keats’ sonnet explores the fear of mortality and the desire to leave a lasting legacy, themes that resonate with Teasdale’s poem’s concerns about identity and loss in the face of love’s intensity.

Suggested Readings: “I Am Not Yours” by Sarah Teasdale

Representative Quotations from “I Am Not Yours” by Sarah Teasdale

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“I am not yours, not lost in you, / Not lost, although I long to be” (lines 1-2)	Introduction to the speaker’s desire for love and autonomy	Feminist perspective: Highlights the speaker’s assertion of independence and agency in the face of romantic love.
“Lost as a candle lit at noon, / Lost as a snowflake in the sea” (lines 3-4)	Imagery and symbolism	Psychoanalytic perspective: Suggests the speaker’s longing for immersion in love is a desire for unity and wholeness, symbolized by the fragile candle and snowflake.
“You love me, and I find you still / A spirit beautiful and bright” (lines 5-6)	Description of the beloved	Romantic perspective: Emphasizes the beauty and radiance of the beloved, highlighting the speaker’s adoration and idealization.
“Yet I am I, who long to be / Lost as a light is lost in light” (lines 7-8)	Speaker’s desire for unity and autonomy	Existentialist perspective: Reveals the speaker’s paradoxical desire for both individuality and unity, highlighting the tension between self-preservation and love.
“Oh plunge me deep in love—put out / My senses, leave me deaf and blind” (lines 9-10)	Speaker’s plea for immersive love	Surrealist perspective: Suggests the speaker’s desire to be completely consumed by love, surrendering their senses and rationality to the experience.