William Butler Yeats Quotes
-
I can forgive even that wrong of wrongs, Those undreamt accidents that have made me Seeing that Fame has perished this long while, Being but a part of ancient ceremony Notorious, till all my priceless things Are but a post the passing dogs defile.
-
But was there ever dog that praised his fleas?
-
People who lean on logic and philosophy and rational exposition end by starving the best part of the mind.
-
For the good are always the merry, / Save by an evil chance,/ And the merry love the fiddle,/ And the merry love to dance: / And when the folk there spy me,/ They will all come up to me, / With,”Here is the fiddler of Dooney!” / And dance like a wave of the sea.
-
The soul of man is of the imperishable substance of the stars!
-
While Michael Angelo's Sistine roof, His "Morning" and his "Night" disclose How sinew that has been pulled tight, Or it may be loosened in repose, Can rule by supernatural right Yet be but sinew.
-
The winds that awakened the stars Are blowing through my blood.
-
How but in custom and in ceremony are innocence and beauty born?
-
The friends that have it I do wrong Whenever I remake a song, Should know what issue is at stake: It is myself that I remake.
-
When You Are Old" WHEN you are old and grey and full of sleep, And nodding by the fire, take down this book, And slowly read, and dream of the soft look Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep; How many loved your moments of glad grace, And loved your beauty with love false or true, But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, And loved the sorrows of your changing face; And bending down beside the glowing bars, Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled And paced upon the mountains overhead And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.
-
When two close kindred meet What better than call a dance?.
-
Sweetheart, do not love too long: I loved long and long, And grew to be out of fashion Like an old song.
-
I have nothing more to give you than my heart. Spanish saying Hearts are not to be had as a gift hearts are to be earned.
-
Land of Heart's Desire Where beauty has no ebb, decay no flood, But joy is wisdom, time an endless song.
-
Why should I seek for love or study it? It is of God and passes human wit; I study hatred with great diligence, For that's a passion in my own control, A sort of besom that can clear the soul Of everything that is not mind or sense.
-
What the world's million lips are searching for, must be substantial somewhere.
-
Boughs have their fruit and blossom At all times of the year; Rivers are running over With red beer and brown beer.
-
I believe when I am in the mood that all nature is full of people whom we cannot see, and that some of these are ugly or grotesque, and some wicked or foolish, but very many beautiful beyond any one we have ever seen, and that these are not far away... and the simple of all times and the wise men of ancient times have seen them and even spoken to them.
-
I have no question: It is enough, I know what fixed the station Of star and cloud. And knowing all, I cry. . . .
-
My wretched dragon is perplexed.
-
And learn that the best thing is To change my loves while dancing And pay but a kiss for a kiss.
-
All empty souls tend toward extreme opinions.
-
I would have touched it like a child But knew my finger could but have touched Cold stone and water. I grew wild, Even accusing heaven because It had set down among its laws: Nothing that we love over-much Is ponderable to our touch.
-
Now must we sing and sing the best we can, But first you must be told your character: Convicted cowards all, by kindred slain.