He wants her to be stable and private developing normally according to her age, sex, and season in life. Ceremony’s a name for the rich horn, And custom for the spreading laurel tree. Stanza 2: In the following stanza, the poet describes the condition of the place the poet dwells in. There is no obstacle But Gregory's wood and one bare hill Whereby the haystack- and roof-levelling wind. The persona praises good unbeautiful women — like Georgie — who re more loved by men compared to harsh beautiful ones — Maud Gonne. His father could not protect him from death.
There was frustration, angst and fear. May she be granted beauty and yet not Beauty to make a stranger's eye distraught, Or hers before a looking-glass, for such, Being made beautiful overmuch, Consider beauty a sufficient end, Lose natural kindness and maybe The heart-revealing intimacy That chooses right, and never find a friend. Posted on 2009-11-06 by a guest. We didn't even read it in brit lit this year 10th grade but I love Yeats and read it on my own. Tone: imploring, beseeching, prayer-like, reflective.
The hood of the cradle half-covers the cradle. And it generally tells about the poet's ideas about his daughter who is sleeping at the same time while the poem is being told. The possessor of this Horn would be granted his wishes. Stanza 8 … An intellectual hatred is the worst, So let her think opinions are accursed. Stanza 6: The poet pleads that the soul of his daughter should flourish and reach self-fulfillment like a flourishing tree. He clearly wished his daughter a good life of tradition, innocence, and ceremony. Hence, they do not choose the right person as they have no heart or soul.
Furthermore, their beauty allows them to be fastidious in their choice of partners, having many admirers. Helen being chosen found life flat and dull And later had much trouble from a fool, While that great Queen, that rose out of the spray, Being fatherless could have her way Yet chose a bandy-legged smith for man. It was written during the World War I, thus it reflects the post-war agitation that was prevalent during that time. Also, he speaks of helen of Troy, who left her husband Menelaus for paris, starting a war between Troy and sparta. In this backdrop, he penned this poem for the little baby whom he loved so much. Hence, they do not choose the right person as they have no heart or soul.
Such vainglorious feeling is unhelpful to a woman. Yeats was a confessional poet - that is to say, that he wrote his poetry directly from his own experiences. An intellectual hatred is the worst, So let her think opinions are accursed. The beautiful do not pay attention to those who make true friends as they believe themselves superior in beauty, fashion, etc. However, not everyone success was built on success.
What a great way to share his wishes, hopes and dreams. He thinks that hatred kills innocence and wishes that his daughter should not harbor hatred. Even the strong elms trees are tossed around by the torment unleashed by the winds. The poet is worried about his child and his gloominess of mind is well portrayed through the first stanza itself. In this poem he vents his thoughts on her. They are not true friends.
May she become a flourishing hidden tree That all her thoughts may like the linnet be, And have no business but dispensing round Their magnanimities of sound, Nor but in merriment begin a chase, Nor but in merriment a quarrel. The last stanzas praise innocence, and custom and ceremony. He says, that woman surely do make rather foolish choices in their lives. Helen of Troy, being the most beautiful woman in the world, married Paris, a stupid man. She enjoys the safety and security of her cozy home in sharp contrast to the decrepit crumbling house described at the outset of the poem. But her kindness makes him glad. The poet uses many examples of the great mythological beauties like Helen, Aphrodite who represent his lover, Maud Gonne.
A linnet is a common finch having plummage that varies according to age, sex, and season. The poet advances his in the next stanzas by citing examples of beautiful women such as Helen of Troy, whose beauty was said to be the cause of the Trojan War. Besides, he may desire her negatively and steal her innocence. However, the poem does experience a sudden shift of mood when the poet employing his power of imagination fancies how he would help his daughter that gradually puts down his worries to rest for some time. So he wants his daughter to shun any such kind of hatred or strong bitter feelings for anyone.