Sara Teasdale published

Love Songs

in 1917 at the height of World War I. The volume’s fresh perspective on modern romance struck a chord with war-weary readers. Earlier publications, including

Sonnets to Duse

(1907),

Helen of Troy and Other Poems

(1911), and

Rivers to the Sea

(1915), had established Teasdale’s critical reputation. But

Love Songs

catapulted her to literary celebrity. Although book sales had fallen off sharply during the war,

Love Songs

reportedly sold more than two thousand copies in its first six months. Over the next two years, the collection was reprinted five times and, over the next decade, it went through fifteen editions.

In 1918, Love Songs was awarded the Columbia Prize for Poetry, the precursor to the Pulitzer Prize and the field’s highest honor. The volume

2431 words

Citation: Girard, Melissa. "Love Songs". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 August 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=3819, accessed 19 March 2024.]

3819 Love Songs 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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