If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
William Butler YeatsRead
Some burn damp faggots, others may consume The entire combustible world in one small room.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote contrasts different levels of passion and intensity in people, suggesting that some have limited ambitions while others have the capacity for greater impact.
This quote by William Butler Yeats explores the disparity in human potential and ambition. It highlights how some individuals engage in minor pursuits ('burn damp faggots') while others possess the ability to affect great change or hold immense power ('consume the entire combustible world in one small room'). This juxtaposition raises questions about aspirations, capabilities, and the ways people choose to influence the world around them.
Themes
AmbitionPowerPotentialImpactContrast
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a motivational speech to illustrate the range of human ambition.
More from William Butler Yeats
All quotes βIt was my first meeting with a philosophy that confirmed my vague speculations and seemed at once logical and boundless.
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But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
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How far away the stars seem, and how far is our first kiss, and ah, how old my heart.
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For he would be thinking of love Till the stars had run away And the shadows eaten the moon.
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Love is created and preserved by intellectual analysis, for we love only that which is unique, and it belongs to contemplation, not to action, for we would not change that which we love.
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