If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
Is it not certain that the Creator yawns in earthquake and thunder and other popular displays, but toils in rounding the delicate spiral of a shell? -Yeats, The Trembling of the Veil
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that the grand events of nature may not signify a conscious effort by the Creator, while the finer details reflect true craftsmanship.
In this quote, Yeats proposes a reflection on the nature of creation and divine involvement. He contrasts the dramatic forces of nature, such as earthquakes and thunderstorms, which seem to occur without intent, with the intricate and meticulous design found in a simple shell. This implies that true artistry and care might be found in the subtle and delicate aspects of existence rather than in overt displays of power, leading to a profound contemplation of the essence of creation and the role of the Creator.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on art and creation, one might quote Yeats to emphasize the importance of attention to detail.
More from William Butler Yeats
All quotes →It was my first meeting with a philosophy that confirmed my vague speculations and seemed at once logical and boundless.
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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.
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I see the origin of the irresistible attraction of metaphor and analogy, the explanation of our strange and permanent need to find similarities in things. I can scarcely refrain from suspecting some ancient, diffused magnetism; a call from the center of things; a dim, almost lost memory, or perhaps a presentiment, pointless in so puny a being, of a universal syntax.
The man whom God wills to slay in the struggle of life - he first individualizes.