Longing

The speaker of this poem mentions several ways in which she experiences longing. Although it is not always clear what she is longing for, woven throughout this poem, including in its title, is a sense that something is missing in her life. In the beginning, she dresses in a manner that she hopes will express her longing. In the following section, she longs for her students to write poems that communicate their deep-seated needs. At the same time, she is also brooding over the fact that she is having trouble teaching her students how to bring out their emotions in a satisfying way through their writing. Also, in the second stanza, the speaker mentions a letter she has received from some unnamed lover, who is also filled with a strong sense of yearning.

While the speaker as teacher tries to find a way to bring out the best...