If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
William Butler YeatsRead
Never to have lived is best, ancient writers say. Never to have drawn the breath of life, never to have looked into the eye of day; The second best's a gay goodnight and quickly turn away.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that life without experience may be preferable to a life filled with suffering, and that a quick end is the second-best option.
William Butler Yeats reflects on the value of life and the pain it can bring. He implies that the anguish and struggles of living may lead to the belief that it is better never to have existed at all. The phrase 'a gay goodnight' alludes to a desire for a quick and cheerful escape from life’s challenges, signaling a resignation to the idea that life can sometimes feel more like a burden than a blessing.
Themes
LifeExistenceSufferingResignationExperience
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the challenges of life, one could cite this quote to emphasize the struggles individuals face.
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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But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
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How far away the stars seem, and how far is our first kiss, and ah, how old my heart.
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For he would be thinking of love Till the stars had run away And the shadows eaten the moon.
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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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