QuoteProject
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 Yeats
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote expresses the fragility of dreams and the impact others can have on them.

William Butler Yeats' quote reflects the deep significance of dreams in our lives, especially for those who feel they have little else. It serves as a poignant reminder to treat the aspirations and hopes of others with care, as they can be delicate and vulnerable to being crushed by insensitivity or disregard.

Themes

DreamsFragilityAspirationsSensitivityCare

In practice

Example use cases

Using this quote in a motivational speech about pursuing dreams.

More from William Butler Yeats

If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
William Butler YeatsRead
It was my first meeting with a philosophy that confirmed my vague speculations and seemed at once logical and boundless.
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
I believe when I am in the mood that all nature is full of people whom we cannot see, and that some of these are ugly or grotesque, and some wicked or foolish, but very many beautiful beyond any one we have ever seen, and that these are not far away... and the simple of all times and the wise men of ancient times have seen them and even spoken to them.
William Butler YeatsRead

Similar quotes

Develop and protect a moral sensibility and demonstrate the character to apply it. Dream big. Work hard. Think for yourself. Love everything you love, everyone you love, with all your might. And do so, please, with a sense of urgency, for every tick of the clock subtracts from fewer and fewer...
David McculloughRead
The best thing I did was choose the right heroes.
Warren BuffettRead
Don’t ever underestimate the importance of money. I know it’s often been said that money won’t make you happy and this is undeniably true, but everything else being equal, it’s a lovely thing to have around the house.
Groucho MarxRead
Do not forget that the value and interest of life is not so much to do conspicuous things...as to do ordinary things with the perception of their enormous value.
Pierre Teilhard De ChardinRead
It's very common for people to recommend something to me because they're going on what I've already written, when, what really is the case, is that you want to write about something you haven't written about, in ways that you haven't done before.
Tom StoppardRead
Without passion, all the skill in the world won't lift you above craft.
Twyla TharpRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.

Quote by William Butler Yeats | QuoteProject