If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
Ecstasy is from the contemplation of things vaster than the individual and imperfectly seen perhaps, by all those that still live.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Ecstasy arises from contemplating greater things beyond ourselves, sometimes not fully understood by those still living.
In this quote, Yeats suggests that true ecstasy and deep fulfillment come from contemplating vast ideas or experiences that transcend individual existence. This contemplation allows individuals to connect with a greater reality, which can lead to a sense of joy and inspiration, even if that reality is not fully grasped by everyone. It's an invitation to look beyond the mundane and engage with the sublime, recognizing the beauty in the bigger picture of life.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is perfect for a motivational speech about finding joy in life's larger meanings.
More from William Butler Yeats
All quotes βIt 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.
Similar quotes
We get Comfort from those who agree with us, but _x000D_ we get Growth from only those who don't agree _x000D_ with us !
but it is also true, if this brings her any consolation, that if, before every action, we were to begin weighing up the consequences, thinking about them in earnest, first the immediate consequences, then the probably, then the possible, then the imaginable ones, we should never move beyond the point where our first thought brought us to a halt.
In Asian languages, the word for mind and the word for heart are same. So if youβre not hearing mindfulness in some deep way as heartfulness, youβre not really understanding it. Compassion and kindness towards oneself are intrinsically woven into it. You could think of mindfulness as wise and affectionate attention.
Appearance is something absolute, but reality is not that way - everything is interdependent, not absolute. So that view is very helpful to maintain a peace of mind because the main destroyer of a peaceful mind is anger.
You need not even listen, just wait...the world will offer itself freely to you, unmasking itself.
In today's rush we all think too much, seek too much, want too much and forget about the joy of just Being.