Oh, there are eyes that he can see,
And hands to make his hands rejoice,
But to my lover I must be
Only a voice.
Oh, there are breasts to bear his head,
And lips whereon his lips can lie,
But I must be till I am dead
Only a cry.
Love Poem by Sara Teasdale
Meaning of the Poem ‘A Cry’ by Sara Teasdale
Sara Teasdale’s ‘A Cry’ is a poignant expression of unrequited love and emotional invisibility. The speaker laments that while her beloved is surrounded by others who can offer him physical affection – eyes, hands, lips, and embrace – she herself remains unseen and untouched, reduced to a distant presence: “only a voice,” “only a cry.”
Her love is real and consuming, yet it cannot reach him in a tangible way. The poem’s aching simplicity conveys the deep sorrow of being spiritually connected to someone who turns elsewhere for closeness.
Ultimately, ‘A Cry’ is a haunting portrayal of love withheld: of yearning that finds no answer, and the pain of existing on the edge of someone’s world, heard but never truly held.
