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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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Famous William Butler Yeats Quotes

“Faeries, come take me out of this dull world, For I would ride with you upon the wind, Run on the top of the dishevelled tide, And dance upon the mountains like a flame.”

World Wind Dance Mountains Faeries

Book:The Land of Heart's Desire

Source: The Land of Heart's Desire

“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

“yet it seems Life scarce can cast a fragrance on the wind, Scarce spread a glory to the morning beams, But the torn petals strew the garden plot; And there's but common greenness after that.”

Life Seems Common Morning Wind Glory Garden Casts Spread Plot Torn Fragrance Scarce Beam Petals Transience

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 can exchange opinion with any neighbouring mind, I have as healthy flesh and blood as any rhymer's had, But O! my Heart could bear no more when the upland caught the wind; I ran, I ran, from my love's side because my Heart went mad.”

Mind Heart I Can Sides Opinion Blood Wind Bears My Heart Healthy Madness Mad Caught Flesh Ran Flesh And Blood

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“While on that old grey stone I sat Under the old wind-broken tree, I knew that One is animate, Mankind inanimate phantasy.”

Reality Tree Mankind Wind Broken Stones Sat Realism Grey

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“Him who trembles before the flame and the flood, And the winds that blow through the starry ways, Let the starry winds and the flame and the flood Cover over and hide, for he has no part With the lonely, majestical multitude.”

Way Fear Nature Wind Lonely Unity Blow Flames Flood Multitudes

Book:COLLECTED POEMS OF W.B. YEATS

Source: COLLECTED POEMS OF W.B. YEATS

“When we have blamed the wind we can blame love.”

Book:Later Poems

Source: Later Poems

“The winds awaken, the leaves whirl round, Our cheeks are pale, our hair is unbound, Our breasts are heaving, our eyes are agleam, Our arms are waving, our lips are apart.”

Eye Wind Hair Arms Rounds Lips Breasts Cheeks Pale Unbound Sidhe

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“O heart the winds have shaken, the unappeasable host Is comelier than candles at Mother Mary's feet.”

Heart Mother Christianity Feet Wind Host Candle Mary Mother Mary

Book:Selected Poems And Four Plays

Source: Selected Poems And Four Plays

“Great Powers of falling wave and wind and windy fire, With your harmonious choir Encircle her I love and sing her into peace, That my old care may cease.”

May Care Fall Compassion Fire Wind Wave Cease Harmonious Great Power Choir Windy Old Car

Book:The Major Works

Source: The Major Works

“Come let us mock at the good That fancied goodness might be gay, And sick of solitude Might proclaim a holiday: Wind shrieked and where are they?”

Might Wind Gay Solitude Goodness Sick Holiday Ridicule Mock

Book:The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

Source: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats

“I, too, await The hour of thy great wind of love and hate. When shall the stars be blown about the sky, Like the sparks blown out of a smithy, and die?”

Hate Dies Stars Hours Sky Wind Sparks Love And Hate

Book:Early Poems

Source: Early Poems

“The wind blows out of the gates of the day, The wind blows over the lonely of heart, And the lonely of heart is withered away.”

Heart Sadness Wind Sad Lonely Blow Gates Withered

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

“Come Fairies, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame!”

World Wind Mountain Angel Dancing Dance Flames Fairy Dull Take Me Paganism Pagan Faerie Just Dance Sidhe

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

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

“An intellectual hatred is the worst, So let her think opinions are accursed. Have I not seen the loveliest woman born Out of the mouth of Plenty's horn, Because of her opinionated mind Barter that horn and every good By quiet natures understood For an old bellows full of angry wind?”

Thinking Mind Born Opinion Worst Wind Quiet Intellectual Mouths Understood Hatred Angry Very Good Plenty Horns Opinionated

Author:William Butler Yeats

“If there's no hatred in a mind Assault and battery of the wind Can never tear the linnet from the leaf”

Ifs Mind Tears Wind Hatred Leafs Assault Batteries

Book:The Major Works

Source: The Major Works

“Because I helped to wind the clock, I come to hear it strike.”

Wind Strikes Clock Collaboration

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

“O but we dreamed to mend Whatever mischief seemed To afflict mankind, but now That winds of winter blow Learn that we were crack-pated when we dreamed.”

Dream Learning Mankind Wind Winter Blow Cracks Mischief

Book:Poems of William Butler Yeats

Source: Poems of William Butler Yeats

“The winds that awakened the stars Are blowing through my blood.”

Life Stars Blood Wind Awakened

Book:Early Poems

Source: Early Poems

“Come let us mock at the great That had such burdens on the mind And toiled so hard and late To leave some monument behind, Nor thought of the leveling wind.”

Mind Hard Behinds Wind Late Burden Monument Mock

Book:The Tower (1928): Manuscript Materials

Source: The Tower (1928): Manuscript Materials

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 Soul Thinking Made Love Hands Long Poetry Wind Art Body

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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