If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
William Butler YeatsRead
An aged man is but a paltry thing, a tattered coat upon a stick
Interpretation
The quote reflects on aging and the loss of vitality and substance over time.
In this quote, William Butler Yeats uses vivid imagery to convey the idea that an elderly person can appear insignificant and worn out, much like a tattered coat draped over a stick. It suggests that as one ages, the richness of life and the vibrancy of youth diminish, leading to feelings of fragility and a loss of identity.
In practice
In a speech about the value of experience and remembering history, this quote serves as a poignant reminder of the passage of time.
If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
It was my first meeting with a philosophy that confirmed my vague speculations and seemed at once logical and boundless.
But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
How far away the stars seem, and how far is our first kiss, and ah, how old my heart.
For he would be thinking of love Till the stars had run away And the shadows eaten the moon.
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.
I have absolutely no fear of death. From my near-death research and my personal experiences, death is, in my judgment, simply a transition into another kind of reality.
When our founding fathers drafted the Constitution and Bill of Rights, black people weren't even considered human.
It's so hard to forget pain, but it's even harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace.
I never make a distinction between private life and politics - that's a petit bourgeois thing. How can you make a stand against Nazi Germany, or in Rwanda, when you live life by making that distinction?
The highest knowledge is to know that we are surrounded by mystery. Neither knowledge nor hope for the future can be the pivot of our life or determine its direction. It is intended to be solely determined by our allowing ourselves to be gripped by the ethical God, who reveals Himself in us, and by our yielding our will to His.
Perception is a mirror not a fact. And what I look on is my state of mind, reflected outward.
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