If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
William Butler YeatsRead
This great purple butterfly,_x000D_ _x000D_ In the prison of my hands,_x000D_ _x000D_ Has a learning in his eye_x000D_ _x000D_ Not a poor fool understands.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the idea of hidden beauty and wisdom that may be overlooked by those who lack insight.
William Butler Yeats uses the image of a purple butterfly, trapped in the hands of someone, to symbolize the beauty and knowledge that exists in the world yet is often unrecognized or misunderstood by others. The 'learning in his eye' suggests that the butterfly, despite being confined, possesses wisdom that escapes the comprehension of those who cannot see beyond the surface, emphasizing the importance of deeper observation and understanding.
Themes
ButterflyBeautyWisdomUnderstandingInsight
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of appreciating art, one might say, 'As Yeats suggested, we often overlook the wisdom hidden in beauty, like the purple butterfly.'
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.
William Butler YeatsRead
But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
William Butler YeatsRead
How far away the stars seem, and how far is our first kiss, and ah, how old my heart.
William Butler YeatsRead
For he would be thinking of love Till the stars had run away And the shadows eaten the moon.
William Butler YeatsRead
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.
William Butler YeatsRead
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