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Time drops in decay Like a candle burnt out. And the mountains and woods Have their day, have their day; But, kindly old rout Of the fire-born moods, You pass not away.
William Butler Yeats
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote reflects on the transience of time and the permanence of certain emotions and memories.

In this quote, Yeats contemplates the fleeting nature of time and natural beauty, likening time to a burnt-out candle. However, he juxtaposes this decay with the enduring essence of emotional experiences, suggesting that while physical forms may fade, the feelings they evoke remain alive within us.

Themes

TimeDecayEmotionsMemoryNature

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a philosophical discussion about the nature of time.

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