Words

William Butler Yeats 1865 (Sandymount) – 1939 (Menton)



I HAD this thought a while ago,
'My darling cannot understand
What I have done, or what would do
In this blind bitter land.'
And I grew weary of the sun
Until my thoughts cleared up again,
Remembering that the best I have done
Was done to make it plain;
That every year I have cried, 'At length
My darling understands it all,
Because I have come into my strength,
And words obey my call';
That had she done so who can say
What would have shaken from the sieve?
I might have thrown poor words away
And been content to live.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 31, 2023

31 sec read
59

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCBDEDFGHGHIJIK
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 515
Words 105
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 16

William Butler Yeats

William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. more…

All William Butler Yeats poems | William Butler Yeats Books

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