If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
William Butler YeatsRead
Swift has sailed into his rest; Savage indignation there Cannot lacerate his breast Imitate him if you dare, World-besotted traveler; he Served human liberty.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the death of a significant figure who fought for human liberty, encouraging others to honor him through imitation.
William Butler Yeats' quote serves as a tribute to a person who has passed away, suggesting that his legacy is one of valor and sacrifice in the pursuit of human liberty. By acknowledging the 'savage indignation' that cannot touch him in death, Yeats highlights the idea that true bravery lies in the willingness to fight for freedom, urging others to emulate this noble spirit.
Themes
LibertyLegacyBraveryHonorSacrifice
In practice
Example use cases
During a memorial service, this quote can be used to inspire courage in carrying forward the values of the deceased.
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
Curiosity creeps into the houses of the unfortunate and the needy under the name of duty or of pity.
Friedrich NietzscheRead
Very little of the great cruelty shown by men can really be attributed to cruel instinct. Most of it comes from thoughtlessness or inherited habit. Extract from 'Memories of childhood and youth.'
Albert SchweitzerRead
The next day, when I was sober, I thought again about the three of us, and about time's many paradoxes. For instance: that when we are young and sensitive, we are also at our most hurtful; whereas when the blood begins to slow, when we feel less sharply, when we are more armoured and have learnt how to bear hurt, we tread more carefully.
Julian BarnesRead
All beings come from a mother's womb. We should have a clear realization of the oneness of all humanity.
Dalai LamaRead
We owe much to the fruitful meditation of our sages, but a sane view of life is, after all, elaborated mainly in the kitchen.
Joseph ConradRead
In dreams the truth is learned that all good works are done in the absence of a caress.
Leonard CohenRead