Barter Analysis

The rhymed iambic tetrameter, the regular repeated sounds and stress patterns, helps make "Barter" sound song-like. Teasdale is kind of a rhythm junky, she likes her iambs. Let's take a closer look...

The speaker in this one seems, well, refined. Part of what gives us this refined sense of the speaker is diction, the words she uses. Words like "loveliness," "splendid," "wonder," and "ecstasy" fe...

This one seems to have kind of a mobile setting. We have descriptions of a seascapes and forest imagery, but it's tough to pin down where our speaker is located.One thing that we can say for sure,...

Music was a big deal for Teasdale. The way her poems sounded was probably as important to her as what they said. If you read "Barter" aloud, you'll likely hear what Shmoop is describing. The rhythm...

You're probably familiar with the term "barter"—in the sense of exchanging goods or services for other goods or services, instead of for money. But the word can also mean the negotiation, or argu...

As we mentioned in the "Symbols, Imagery, Wordplay" section, Teasdale chose Love Songs as the title for her collection containing "Barter." This sense of music is key throughout much of Teasdale's...

This is a pleasant trek through the lowlands that offers some beautiful scenery, but it won't be much of a workout for the body/brain. Better do a few push-ups and some Sudoku. That said, if you sl...

We said in the "Calling Card" section that Teasdale is all about the music. Well, a lot of people agree and some have taken her poems even further in the direction of song. Actually, they took it a...

This one is just a puppy dog away from being too sweet to stand. Look elsewhere for the racy stuff.