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by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933)

Fear
Language: English 
I am afraid, oh I am so afraid!
The cold black fear is clutching me to-night
As long ago when they would take the light 
And leave the little child who would have prayed, 
Frozen and sleepless at the thought of death.

My heart that beats too fast will rest too soon;
I shall not know if it be night or noon, —
Yet shall I struggle in the dark for breath?
Will no one fight the Terror for my sake, 
The heavy darkness that no dawn will break?

How can they leave me in that dark alone, 
Who loved the joy of light and warmth so much, 
And thrilled so with the sense of sound and touch, —
How can they shut me underneath a stone?

I am afraid, oh I am so afraid!
The cold black fear is clutching me to-night
As long ago when they would take the light 
And leave the little child who would have prayed, 
Frozen and sleepless at the thought of death.

Text Authorship:

  • by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933), "Fear" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Gerda Blok-Wilson (b. 1955), "Fear", first performed 2022 [ mixed chorus ]
        Publisher: Sheet Music Plus [external link]  [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-02-16
Line count: 19
Word count: 169

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