If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
When I clamber to the heights of sleep, Or when I grow excited with wine, suddenly I meet your face.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The speaker finds solace and inspiration in the memory of a loved one during moments of rest or indulgence.
In this quote, William Butler Yeats expresses the profound impact that love has on his consciousness. He reveals that whether he is drifting into sleep or enjoying a drink, the thought of his beloved always resurfaces, indicating that their presence is deeply embedded in his mind and emotions. This highlights the intertwining of love with one's inherent experiences, suggesting that true love transcends circumstances and remains a constant source of joy and comfort.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a romantic speech at a wedding, one could share this quote to express the lasting impact of love.
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
The life that goes out in love to all life is the life that is full, and rich, and continually expanding in beauty and in power.
We were so young, so in love, and so in debt.
A five-word sentence that could change the world tomorrow is What would love do now?
I believe that at the center of the universe there dwells a loving spirit who longs for all thatβs best in all of creation, a spirit who knows the great potential of each planet as well as each person, and little by little will love us into being more than we ever dreamed possible. That loving spirit would rather die than give up on any one of us.
It may have been in pieces, but I gave you the best of me.
Nothing else is necessary but these - love, sincerity, and patience.