If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
Players and painted stage took all my love, And not those things that they were emblems of.
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
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
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
There's an old saying: 'No piece of writing is ever finished, it's just abandoned.' But my own rule is: No piece of work is done until you want to kill everyone involved in the publishing process, especially yourself.
Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk.
Acting, I found, was the biggest charge I ever had. What other artist has it so good? Approval so quick?
The writer probably knows what he meant when he wrote a book, but he should immediately forget what he meant when he's written it.
I don't do a comic book thinking there is a movie. I just want it to be as good a comic book as it can be.
Fiction is to the grown man what play is to the child; it is there that he changes the atmosphere and tenor of his life.