If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
William Butler YeatsRead
Swift has sailed into his rest; Savage indignation there Cannot lacerate his breast Imitate him if you dare, World-besotted traveler; he Served human liberty.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the death of a significant figure who fought for human liberty, encouraging others to honor him through imitation.
William Butler Yeats' quote serves as a tribute to a person who has passed away, suggesting that his legacy is one of valor and sacrifice in the pursuit of human liberty. By acknowledging the 'savage indignation' that cannot touch him in death, Yeats highlights the idea that true bravery lies in the willingness to fight for freedom, urging others to emulate this noble spirit.
In practice
During a memorial service, this quote can be used to inspire courage in carrying forward the values of the deceased.
If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
It 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.
There's a demon in me, and he's still around. Without the dope, we have a bit more of a chat these days.
Just as an individual of pre-eminent worth transforms democracy into a monarchy of the best man, even so the rule of one man, if in all things it has an eye to the common welfare, is democracy.
The propagandist's purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people are human.
I've never forgotten for long at a time that living is struggle. I know that every good and excellent thing in the world stands moment by moment on the razor-edge of danger and must be fought for - whether it's a field, or a home, or a country.
Free speech is intended to protect the controversial and even outrageous word; and not just comforting platitudes too mundane to need protection.
The mechanism she employs is much more powerful than ours, for all her levers move the human heart.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.