Lyric Poem · Life

Barter

by Sara Teasdale · 1917

Life has loveliness to sell,

All beautiful and splendid things,

Blue waves whitened on a cliff,

Soaring fire that sways and sings,

And children's faces looking up

Holding wonder like a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,

Music like a curve of gold,

Scent of pine trees in the rain,

Eyes that love you, arms that hold,

And for your spirit's still delight,

Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,

Buy it and never count the cost;

For one white singing hour of peace

Count many a year of strife well lost,

And for a breath of ecstasy

Give all you have been, or could be.

Full-text availability follows the United States display decision recorded below; status can differ elsewhere.

“Barter” by Sara Teasdale — quilloak.com/poems/barter

Quick facts

Poem: Barter
Poet: Sara Teasdale
Published: 1917
Length: 18 lines
Form: Lyric Poem, Rhyming Poems
Themes: Life, Happiness, Inspirational

Craft notes

How this poem works

Measured from the text on this page, not copied from a summary. Counts are approximate: syllables and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, which models General American English, so dialect, older pronunciation, and performance can all change what you hear.

Shape: 18 lines · 3 sestets
End rhyme: ABCBDD in 67% of the stanzas. The remaining stanzas vary, often through slant rhyme.
Line length: Lines run 7-9 syllables (median 8), consistent with tetrameter. No single length dominates, which is normal once elision and contraction are in play.
Refrain: “Life has loveliness to sell,”Repeated lines act as the poem's hinge or drumbeat.

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Text, source & rights

A traceable edition

Full-text display is based on the cited edition and a United States term-expiry review.

Author record: Sara Teasdale1884–1933
Source record: WikisourceBarter by sara-teasdale, Wikisource transcription
Display decision: Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record: 1917
Text fingerprint: SHA-256 4e8bb53bf244421d…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.