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William Butler Yeats

William Butler Yeats Quotes

Poet

William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet, dramatist, and essayist, considered one of the greatest poets of the 20th century. His poetry deeply reflected the nationalist sentiments of Ireland and also showcased rich imagination and profound philosophical thinking. Yeats' poetic style was versatile, evolving from early romanticism to late symbolism, and his works have had a profound impact on literature both in Ireland and around the world.

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All Men Heart World Life Ifs Eye Dream Knows May Mind

Famous William Butler Yeats Quotes

“O cloud-pale eyelids, dream-dimmed eyes, The poets labouring all their days To build a perfect beauty in rhyme Are overthrown by a woman's gaze.”

Dream Eye Poetry Women Perfect Beauty Poet Clouds Poetry Is Pale Rhyme Eyelids Perfect Beauty

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“I have heard that hysterical women say They are sick of the palette and fiddle-bow, Of poets that are always gay”

Poetry Heard Poet Gay Sick Bows Hysterical Palette Fiddle

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“I thought of rhyme alone, For rhyme can beat a measure out of trouble And make the daylight sweet once more.”

Happiness Poetry Trouble Poet Sweet Beats Rhyme Me Alone Daylight

Book:The Collected Works of W. B. Yeats: Volume I: The Poems, 2nd Edition

Source: The Collected Works of W. B. Yeats: Volume I: The Poems, 2nd Edition

“All think what other people think; All know the man their neighbor knows. Lord, what would they say Did their Catullus walk that way?”

People Thinking Knows Men Way Poetry Walks Lord He Man Poet Neighbor Gossip Academia

Author:William Butler Yeats

“Poetry and music I have banished, But the stupidity Of root, shoot, blossom or clay Makes no demand. I bend my body to the spade Or grope with a dirty hand.”

Body Hands Poetry Music Poet Demand Musician Roots Stupidity Dirty Clay Spades Poetry And Music Dirty Hands

Book:The Collected Works of W. B. Yeats: Volume I: The Poems, 2nd Edition

Source: The Collected Works of W. B. Yeats: Volume I: The Poems, 2nd Edition

“And when you sigh from kiss to kiss I hear white Beauty sighing, too, For hours when all must fade like dew.”

Hours White Beauty Kissing Fades Representation Sigh Dew

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“But bear in mind your lover's wage Is what your looking-glass can show, And that he will turn green with rage At all that is not pictured there.”

Mind Shows Turns Beauty Bears Lovers Green Glasses Rage Jealousy

Book:The Major Works

Source: The Major Works

“Some moralist or mythological poet Compares the solitary soul to a swan; I am satisfied with that, Satisfied if a troubled mirror show it, Before that brief gleam of its life be gone.”

Ifs Soul Shows Life Is Beauty Gone Poet Mirrors Proof Satisfied Compare Solitary Swans Gleam Moralist

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“All dreams of the soul End in a beautiful man's or woman's body.”

Men Soul Ends Dream Body Beautiful Beauty Women's Bodies

Book:The Major Works

Source: The Major Works

“And God would bid His warfare cease, Saying all things were well; And softly make a rosy peace, A peace of Heaven with Hell.”

Wells God Heaven Beauty Hell All Things Cease Warfare Rosy

Book:Early Poems

Source: Early Poems

“If Michael, leader of God's host When Heaven and Hell are met, Looked down on you from Heaven's door-post He would his deeds forget.”

Ifs Heaven Forget Leader Beauty Hell Doors Mets Deeds Posts Host Heaven And Hell

Book:The Major Works

Source: The Major Works

“Who dreamed that beauty passes like a dream? For these red lips, with all their mournful pride, Mournful that no new wonder may betide, Troy passed away in one high funeral gleam, And Usna's children died.”

May Children Dream Wonder Beauty Pride Red Died Lips Funeral Passed Away Gleam Red Lips Transience

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“Because of something told under the famished horn Of the hunter's moon, that hung between the night and the day, To dream of women whose beauty was folded in dismay, Even in an old story, is a burden not to be borne.”

Stories Dream Night Women Beauty Moon Burden Hung Hunters Horns Dismay Women Beauty

Book:Later Poems

Source: Later Poems

“I summon to the winding ancient stair; Set all your mind upon the steep ascent”

Thinking Mind Eternity Ancient Thoughtful Stairs Steep Ascent

Book:The Winding Stair and Other Poems: A Facsimile Edition

Source: The Winding Stair and Other Poems: A Facsimile Edition

“Man's life is thought, And he, despite his terror, cannot cease Ravening through century after century, Ravening, raging, and uprooting that he may come Into the desolation of reality.”

Thinking Men Life May Reality Life Is Mankind Century Terror Rage Cease Despite Thoughtful Desolation Uprooting

Book:The Major Works

Source: The Major Works

“Bodily decrepitude is wisdom; young We loved each other and were ignorant.”

Wisdom Young Youth Ignorant

Book:The Major Works

Source: The Major Works

“For wisdom is the property of the dead, A something incompatible with life; and power, Like everything that has the stain of blood, A property of the living; but no stain Can come upon the visage of the moon When it has looked in glory from a cloud.”

Life Wisdom Blood Moon Glory Property Clouds Stains

Book:The Collected Works of W. B. Yeats: Volume I: The Poems, 2nd Edition

Source: The Collected Works of W. B. Yeats: Volume I: The Poems, 2nd Edition

“Those men that in their writings are most wise Own nothing but their blind, stupefied hearts.”

Men Writing Heart Wisdom Wise Blind Most Wise

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“And wisdom is a butterfly And not a gloomy bird of prey.”

Wisdom Bird Optimism Butterfly Prey Gloomy Birds Of Prey

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“Even the wisest man grows tense With some sort of violence Before he can accomplish fate, Know his work or choose his mate. Poet and sculptor, do the work, Nor let the modish painter shirk”

Knows Men Art Wisdom Artist Grows Fate Violence Poet Accomplish Painter Mates Tense Wisest Sculptors Wisest Man Shirk

Book:The Collected Works of W. B. Yeats: Volume I: The Poems, 2nd Edition

Source: The Collected Works of W. B. Yeats: Volume I: The Poems, 2nd Edition

“Though I have many words, What woman's satisfied, I am no longer faint Because at her side? O who could have foretold That the heart grows old?”

Heart Grows Women Sides Aging Satisfied

Book:Poems of William Butler Yeats

Source: Poems of William Butler Yeats

“I thought no more was needed Youth to prolong Than dumb-bell and foil To keep the body young. O who could have foretold That the heart grows old?”

Heart Body Young Grows Sadness Youth Needed Aging Dumb Bells Foils

Author:William Butler Yeats

“I have nothing but the embittered sun; Banished heroic mother moon and vanished, And now that I have come to fifty years I must endure the timid sun.”

Years Reality Mother Sun Moon Aging Endure Fifty Heroic Realism Disillusionment

Book:Later Poems

Source: Later Poems

“Nor bird nor beast Could make me wish for anything this day, Being old, but that the old alone might die, And that would be against God's Providence.”

Might Would Be Dies Wish Bird Aging Beast This Day Providence Being Old

Book:The Collected Works of W.B. Yeats Volume I: The Poems: Revised Second Edition

Source: The Collected Works of W.B. Yeats Volume I: The Poems: Revised Second Edition

“When a man grows old his joy Grows more deep day after day, His empty heart is full at length But he has need of all that strength Because of the increasing Night That opens her mystery and fright.”

Men Needs Heart Joy Night Grows Fear Mystery Empty Aging Length Fright Empty Heart

Book:Selected Poems And Four Plays

Source: Selected Poems And Four Plays

“O heart, we are old; The living beauty is for younger men: We cannot pay its tribute of wild tears.”

Men Heart Pay Tears Aging Excitement Tribute

Book:Easter, 1916

Source: Easter, 1916

“I rise in the dawn, and I kneel and blow Till the seed of the fire flicker and glow; And then I must scrub and bake and sweep Till the stars are beginning to blink and peep; And the young lie long and dream in their bed.”

Long Dream Young Lying Stars Work Fire Bed Aging Blow Motherhood Seeds Dawn Blink Flicker

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“The hare grows old as she plays in the sun And gazes around her with eyes of brightness; Before the swift things that she dreamed of were done She limps along in an aged whiteness.”

Done Play Eye Age Grows Sun Aging Old Age Brightness Whiteness Hares

Book:When You Are Old: Early Poems, Plays, and Fairy Tales

Source: When You Are Old: Early Poems, Plays, and Fairy Tales

“I thought it out this very day, Noon upon the clock, A man may put pretence away Who leans upon a stick, May sing, and sing until he drop, Whether to maid or hag.”

Men May Aging Sticks Redemption Clock Noon Maids Pretence

Book:The Collected Works of W. B. Yeats: Volume I: The Poems, 2nd Edition

Source: The Collected Works of W. B. Yeats: Volume I: The Poems, 2nd Edition

“My soul had found All happiness in its own cause or ground. Godhead on Godhead in sexual spasm begot Godhead. Some shadow fell. My soul forgot Those amorous cries that out of quiet come And must the common round of day resume.”

Soul Happiness Found Sex Causes Common Cry Quiet Shadow Rounds My Soul Resumes Amorous

Book:Poems of William Butler Yeats

Source: Poems of William Butler Yeats

“Because this age and the next age Engender in the ditch, No man can know a happy man From any passing wretch, If Folly link with Elegance No man knows which is which.”

Ifs Knows Men Age Happiness Next Mankind Passing Passings Folly Links Elegance Happy Man

Book:The Collected Works of W. B. Yeats: Volume I: The Poems, 2nd Edition

Source: The Collected Works of W. B. Yeats: Volume I: The Poems, 2nd Edition

“I bear a burden that might well try Men that do all by rule, And what can I That am a wandering-witted fool But pray to God that He ease My great responsibilities?”

Men Trying Wells Might Faith Responsibility Fool Bears Praying Burden Wander Ease Praying To God Great Responsibility Try Me

Book:Later Poems

Source: Later Poems

“I--though heart might find relief Did I become a Christian man and choose for my belief What seems most welcome in the tomb--play a predestined part. Homer is my example and his unchristened heart.”

Men Heart Play Seems Might Christian Faith Belief Christianity Example Welcome Relief Tombs Predestined

Book:Selected Poems And Four Plays

Source: Selected Poems And Four Plays

“Sweetheart, do not love too long: I loved long and long, And grew to be out of fashion Like an old song.”

Long Song Loss Fashion Grew Sentimentality Sweetheart Old Song

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“Earth in beauty dressed Awaits returning spring. All true love must die, Alter at the best Into some lesser thing. Prove that I lie.”

Earth Lying Dies Loss Prove Spring

Book:Selected Poems And Four Plays

Source: Selected Poems And Four Plays

“to be choked with hate May well be of all evil chances chief.”

Wells May Hate Evil Chance Chiefs

Book:Later Poems

Source: Later Poems

“Why should I seek for love or study it? It is of God and passes human wit; I study hatred with great diligence, For that's a passion in my own control, A sort of besom that can clear the soul Of everything that is not mind or sense.”

Should Mind Humans Soul Hate Passion My Own Study Clear Hatred Wit Should I Diligence

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“I can forgive even that wrong of wrongs, Those undreamt accidents that have made me Seeing that Fame has perished this long while, Being but a part of ancient ceremony Notorious, till all my priceless things Are but a post the passing dogs defile.”

Long Made I Can Seeing Dog Fame Forgiveness Forgiving Ancient Accidents Passing Passings Posts Ceremony Priceless Notorious

Book:Later Poems

Source: Later Poems

“But O, sick children of the world, Of all the many changing things In dreary dancing past us whirled, To the cracked tune that Chronos sings, Words alone are certain good.”

World Children Past Certain Time Literature Language Sick Dancing Tunes Cracked Dreary Sick Children

Book:When You Are Old: Early Poems, Plays, and Fairy Tales

Source: When You Are Old: Early Poems, Plays, and Fairy Tales

“I have mummy truths to tell Whereat the living mock, Though not for sober ear, For maybe all that hear Should laugh and weep an hour upon the clock.”

Should Truth Hours Laughing Ears Clock Afterlife Sober Mock Mummy

Book:Poems of William Butler Yeats

Source: Poems of William Butler Yeats

“I long for truth, and yet I cannot stay from that My better self disowns, For a man's attention Brings such satisfaction To the craving in my bones.”

Men Long Self Truth Attention Satisfaction Bones Craving

Book:Poems of William Butler Yeats

Source: Poems of William Butler Yeats

“Bodies of holy men and women exude Miraculous oil, odour of violet. But under heavy loads of trampled clay Lie bodies of the vampires full of blood; Their shrouds are bloody and their lips are wet.”

Source: The Collected Works of W.B. Yeats Volume I: The Poems: Revised Second Edition

“How can they know Truth flourishes where the student's lamp has shone, And there alone, that have no solitude? So the crowd come they care not what may come. They have loud music, hope every day renewed And heartier loves; that lamp is from the tomb.”

Knows May Truth Care Students Solitude Crowds Loud Lamps Tombs Loud Music

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“Nor seek, for this is also sooth, To hunger fiercely after truth, Lest all thy toiling only breeds New dreams, new dreams; there is no truth Saving in thine own heart.”

Heart Dream Truth Hunger Saving Toiling

Book:When You Are Old: Early Poems, Plays, and Fairy Tales

Source: When You Are Old: Early Poems, Plays, and Fairy Tales

“For what but eye and ear silence the mind With the minute particulars of mankind?”

Mind Eye Silence Minutes Mankind Ears

Book:Poems of William Butler Yeats

Source: Poems of William Butler Yeats

“Where the world ends The mind is made unchanging, for it finds Miracle, ecstasy, the impossible hope, The flagstone under all, the fire of fires, The roots of the world.”

World Mind Made Ends Fire Impossible Roots Miracle Ecstasy Unchanging

Book:Poems of William Butler Yeats

Source: Poems of William Butler Yeats

“What if I bade you leave The cavern of the mind? There's better exercise In the sunlight and wind.”

Ifs Mind Wind Exercise What If Sunlight Caverns

Book:The Major Works

Source: The Major Works

“A living man is blind and drinks his drop. What matter if the ditches are impure? What matter if I live it all once more?”

Ifs Men Life Matter Drink Blind What Matters

Book:Poems of William Butler Yeats

Source: Poems of William Butler Yeats

“Give to these children, new from the world, Rest far from men. Is anything better, anything better? Tell us it then.”

Men World Life Giving Children Human Condition

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“Yet they that know all things but know That all this life can give us is A child's laughter, a woman's kiss.”

Knows Life Giving Children Knowledge Kissing Laughter All Things This Life

Book:Collected Poems

Source: Collected Poems

About the Author

Born: June 13, 1865
Died: January 28, 1939
Known for: Poet
Quotes: 615

Related Topics

Men Heart World Life Ifs Eye Dream Knows May Mind

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

The Collected Poems of W. B. YeatsRelated source material

The Collected Works of W. B. Yeats: Volume I: The Poems, 2nd EditionRelated source material

The Major WorksRelated source material

Poems of William Butler YeatsRelated source material

Later PoemsRelated source material

Selected Poems And Four PlaysRelated source material

When You Are Old: Early Poems, Plays, and Fairy TalesRelated source material

COLLECTED POEMS OF W.B. YEATSRelated source material

The Collected Works of W.B. Yeats Volume IV: Early EssaysRelated source material

The Collected Works of W.B. Yeats Vol II: The PlaysRelated source material

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