Moods
Prose Poems
Mercedes De Acosta
Mercedes de Acosta’s “Moods” (published in 1919) is a collection of poetry that contains subtle but notable lesbian themes, though like much literature of its era, these themes are often veiled or expressed through metaphor.
The collection reflects de Acosta’s own identity – she was openly lesbian at a time when this was extremely rare in society, especially among public figures. She had relationships with many famous women of her era, including Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich.
In “Moods,” the lesbian content includes:
- Poems expressing passionate love and desire for unnamed women, often using sensual imagery and language
- References to forbidden or secret love that reflect the reality of same-sex relationships during that period
- Exploration of emotional intimacy between women that goes beyond conventional friendship
- Subtle erotic imagery that, while not explicit by modern standards, would have been understood by contemporary readers familiar with coded language around same-sex desire
De Acosta’s work is particularly significant because she was one of the few writers of her time who lived relatively openly as a lesbian, though her writing still had to navigate the social restrictions and censorship of the era. “Moods” represents an important early example of lesbian poetry in American literature, even though it relies on suggestion rather than explicit declaration.
“They are not poetry; but they are the most singable prose, and they have a haunting quality, a breath of mystery, as though a ghost walked in a garden.”
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