If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
William Butler YeatsRead
Now as to magic. It is surely absurd to hold me "weak" or otherwise because I choose to persist in a study which I decided deliberately four or five years ago to make, next to my poetry, the most important pursuit of my life...If I had not made magic my constant study I could not have written a single word of my Blake book, nor would The Countess Kathleen have ever come to exist. The mystical life is the center of all that I do and all that I think and all that I write.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of magic and mysticism in Yeats's creative process, suggesting that these elements are integral to his writing and life.
William Butler Yeats expresses a deep connection between his artistic pursuits and his study of magic. He argues that the mystical life is not only central to his creative efforts but is also crucial for his writings, illustrating how personal passions and explorations can significantly shape an artist's work and vision.
Themes
MagicArtCreativityMysticismPoetryInspiration
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of pursuing one's passions.
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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