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Players and painted stage took all my love, And not those things that they were emblems of.
William Butler Yeats
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote expresses a deep connection to art and performance, revealing that the speaker's love is more for the artistic expression than for what it symbolizes.

In this quote, William Butler Yeats reflects on the nature of love and attachment through the lens of art. He suggests that his affection is directed toward the performers and the crafted experiences presented on stage, rather than the deeper symbols or messages those performances might convey. This highlights the intimacy and significance of artistic expression in his life, underlining a theme of emotional engagement with art itself.

Themes

ArtLovePerformanceEmotionExpression

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a discussion about the impact of theater on emotional experiences during an art appreciation class.

More from William Butler Yeats

If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
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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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