If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
William Butler YeatsRead
Grant me an old man's frenzy, Myself must I remake Till I am Timon and Lear Or that William Blake Who beat upon the wall Till Truth obeyed his call.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses a desire for transformation and the pursuit of truth through chaos and fervor.
In this quote, Yeats conveys a yearning for the intensity and passion of old age as a means to remake oneself. He references the figures of Timon and Lear, who embody the struggle against despair and the quest for truth, paralleling his admiration for William Blake, who relentlessly sought understanding until he attained it. This highlights the deep connection between fervor, personal evolution, and the relentless pursuit of truth.
Themes
TransformationTruthFervorWisdomIntensity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about personal growth, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of transformation.
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.
William Butler YeatsRead
But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
William Butler YeatsRead
How far away the stars seem, and how far is our first kiss, and ah, how old my heart.
William Butler YeatsRead
For he would be thinking of love Till the stars had run away And the shadows eaten the moon.
William Butler YeatsRead
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.
William Butler YeatsRead
Similar quotes
The ability to dream is all I have to give. That is my responsibility; that is my burden. And even I grow tired.
Harlan EllisonRead
Youth is the trustee of prosperity.
Benjamin DisraeliRead
The enlarging of the soul requires not only some remodeling, but some excavating.
Neal A. MaxwellRead
Only a good-for-nothing is not interested in his past.
Sigmund FreudRead
The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.
Charles DarwinRead
You don't meditate once and suddenly your life turns around. What it does is it lets you train your brain to be able to become more stable in an action-oriented way.
Goldie HawnRead