Contemplation

In her poem “The Crystal Gazer,” Sara Teasdale presents contemplation as the practice of being fully present. For the speaker, this involves both direct action and embracing a state of deep awareness, showing the importance of both movement and stillness. Integrating disparate elements such as these occurs throughout the poem, beginning in the first quatrain when the speaker states her intention to gather her scattered selves. Overall, this reflects the Modernist understanding of an authentic inner self in contrast to the false self of social roles.

The entire poem is written in the future tense, which means that the descriptions have not yet come to pass. Instead, the speaker uses an assertive tone to manifest the future that she desires. This can be seen in the anaphora “I shall,” which appears twice in the first quatrain and once in the second quatrain. The speaker has clearly...