The speaker in Sara Teasdale’s “The Solitary” describes feeling richer inside as the years pass. She no longer needs to confide in everyone or turn every thought into words. People may come and go; what matters is having her own will and the strength to climb a hill on a summer night and watch the stars. The mood is calm and detached—not lonely, but self-contained. She lets others believe she loves or cares more than she does, since their pride means little to her. By the end, her independence feels natural and unshakeable, like a flower or a stone.
The Solitary — Summary
My heart has grown rich with the passing of years, I have less need now than when I was young To share myself with every comer Or shape my thoughts into words with my tongue. It is one to me that they come or go If I have myself and the drive of my will, And strength to climb on a summer night And watch the stars swarm over the hill. Let them think I love them more than I do, Let them think I care, though I go alone; If it lifts their pride, what is it to me Who am self-complete as a flower or a stone.