If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
William Butler YeatsRead
The innocent and the beautiful have no enemy but time.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Time is the only force that can diminish beauty and innocence.
This quote by William Butler Yeats suggests that the transient nature of time is the sole adversary to beauty and innocence. While external forces may seem threatening, it is ultimately time that erodes the purity and luster of youth and unblemished beauty, serving as a reminder of the inevitable changes that life brings.
Themes
TimeBeautyInnocenceTransienceChange
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of cherishing youth, one might reference this quote to emphasize the fleeting nature of beauty.
More from William Butler Yeats
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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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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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