I Am Not Yours

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.

Summary of I Am Not Yours

  • Popularity of “I Am Not Yours”: This short poem comprising just three quatrains by Sara Teasdale, a great American lyric poet from Missouri, is an interesting read. The poem first appeared in her collection, Rivers to the Sea, back in 1915 when she was alive. The poem gives expression to her desire to have equality in love which is an implicit idea of the poem, too. This slightly touching love poem has won popularity due to the projection of femininity.
  • “I Am Not Yours” As a Representative of Equal Love: The poet, who happens to be the first person speaker of the poem as well, opens the poem with her resolve that she is not the lady of her lover and not lost in him but that she desires to lose herself. However, she immediately returns to her desire and states that the person in question loves her and she also loves him without giving expression to her feelings but only expressing her desire that she wants to lose herself in him. She still asserts her persona saying that “I am I.” She finally wants to tell her lover that she wants to plunge into love and that his love has swept her away though she does not express explicitly that she loves him.
  • Major Themes in “I Am Not Yours”: Feminine quality of implicit love, the assertion of femininity, and the projection of one’s persona are major thematic strands of the poem “I am Not Yours.” Sara Teasdale beautifully presents her view about whether she loves her lover or not and goes on to say that she still desires to lose herself in him as he loves her. Yet, she does not give expression to her love which is quite implicit as she asserts that she is an individual and does not want to lose her individuality, and yet she wants to lose herself in his love. This means that although she does not want to become a docile creature, she still wants to be his lady, projecting her persona successfully.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in I Am Not Yours

Sara Teasdale’s use of various literary devices to enhance the intended impact of her poem shows her mastery in poetic writing. Some of the major literary in this poem are as follows.

  1. Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /a/ in “Lost as a candle lit at noon” and the sound of /o/ in “I am not yours, not lost in you.”
  2. Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /l/ in “Lost as a light is lost in light” and the sound of /t/ and /s/ in “Swept by the tempest of your love.”
  3. Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Sara Teasdale has used imagery in this poem, such as “Lost as a candle lit at noon”, “Lost as a snowflake in the sea” and “Lost as a light is lost in light.”
  4. Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. The poet used the metaphors of the spirit for her lover.
  5. Simile: It is a direct comparison of things to understand the one being compared. This poem shows the use of similes, such as;

    • Lost as a candle lit at noon.

    • Lost as a snowflake in the sea.

    • Lost as a light is lost in light.

  6. Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols such as light, candle, sea, love, and wind show the intensity of the poet’s love.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in I Am Not Yours

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

  1. Diction: It means the type of language. The poem shows good use of formal, poetic, and simple diction.
  2. End Rhyme: It means to use verses having matching end words. Sara Teasdale shows the use of end rhymes such as be/sea and bright/light.
  3. Quatrain: It is a Persian stanza having four verses. This poem has three quatrains, such as the first one given below.
  4. Rhyme Scheme: The poem shows the rhyme scheme of ABCB in all three stanzas.
  5. Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas, with each comprising four verses.
  6. Tone: It means the voice of the text. The poem shows a loving, haughty, implicit, and desirous tone at different places.

Quotes to be Used

The following lines are useful to quote when expressing intense love for somebody.

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.

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