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A Terrible Beauty Is Born
'But I, being poor, have only my dreams; / I have spread my dreams under your feet...'
By turns joyful and despairing, some of the twentieth century's greatest verse on fleeting youth, fervent hopes and futile sacrifice.
By turns joyful and despairing, some of the twentieth century's greatest verse on fleeting youth, fervent hopes and futile sacrifice.
57 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1916
About the author
W.B. Yeats
1,854books2,439followersWilliam Butler Yeatswas an Irish poet and dramatist, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years Yeats served as an Irish Senator for two terms. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival, and along with Lady Gregory and Edward Martyn founded the Abbey Theatre, serving as its chief during its early years. In 1923 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for what the Nobel Committee described as "inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation." He was the first Irishman so honored. Yeats is generally considered one of the few writers who completed their greatest works after being awarded the Nobel Prize; such works includeThe Tower(1928) andThe Winding Stair and Other Poems(1929).
Yeats was born and educated in Dublin but spent his childhood in County Sligo. He studied poetry in his youth, and from an early age was fascinated by both Irish legends and the occult. Those topics feature in the first phase of his work, which lasted roughly until the turn of the century. His earliest volume of verse was published in 1889, and those slow paced and lyrical poems display debts to Edmund Spenser and Percy Bysshe Shelley, as well as to the Pre-Raphaelite poets. From 1900, Yeats' poetry grew more physical and realistic. He largely renounced the transcendental beliefs of his youth, though he remained preoccupied with physical and spiritual masks, as well as with cyclical theories of life.
--from Wikipedia
Yeats was born and educated in Dublin but spent his childhood in County Sligo. He studied poetry in his youth, and from an early age was fascinated by both Irish legends and the occult. Those topics feature in the first phase of his work, which lasted roughly until the turn of the century. His earliest volume of verse was published in 1889, and those slow paced and lyrical poems display debts to Edmund Spenser and Percy Bysshe Shelley, as well as to the Pre-Raphaelite poets. From 1900, Yeats' poetry grew more physical and realistic. He largely renounced the transcendental beliefs of his youth, though he remained preoccupied with physical and spiritual masks, as well as with cyclical theories of life.
--from Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
October 17, 2019
I am intrigued. Yeats might be a poet for me. Granted, I didn't click with most of the poems in this selection of his complete works, but there were some moments of brilliance and most importantlytheline.
(In case you're wondering what the fuck I am talking about: whenever I read poetry, I search for one line that completely takes me in and that I won't be able to forget. It's rare for me to findtheline, but it acutally happened with Yeats, so he's def on my radar now.)
I don't want to put you on the rack, so I will of course share the verse with you:
If I would describe Yeats' poetry in one word it would be 'gentle'. Whilst reading his verses, I pictured Yeats in his last years sitting in a rocking chair smiling at me, and guiding me through the imaginary worlds he breathed into life with his words. (Okay, I'll stop being pretentious now, sorry!) But for real, he seemed really wise to me, and the things he said about growing old, falling in and out of love, and the futility of life really resonated with me.
He also displayed a great sense of humour when talking about politics and admitting that the beautiful girls on the streets are much more interesting than wars fought in other countries.
I really loved what he had to say about the craft of poetry itself:
I didn't understand the message of all of his poems (sometimes I wasn't even sure if he wrote about sex or rape... yeah, I am not a smart cookie), but that wasn't my intention to begin with. I just wanted to get a first look at the man (and I liked what I saw), and now I can't wait to revisit his poems from time to time.
(In case you're wondering what the fuck I am talking about: whenever I read poetry, I search for one line that completely takes me in and that I won't be able to forget. It's rare for me to findtheline, but it acutally happened with Yeats, so he's def on my radar now.)
I don't want to put you on the rack, so I will of course share the verse with you:
Cast a cold EyeAfter doing some research on Yeats, I actually discovered that this is his epitaph... You don't know how excited my twisted edgy inner self is right now... I am living! (Okay, that's maybe a bit morbid since we're talking about Yeats' grave here but I AM LIVING!)
On Life, on Death.
Horseman pass by.
If I would describe Yeats' poetry in one word it would be 'gentle'. Whilst reading his verses, I pictured Yeats in his last years sitting in a rocking chair smiling at me, and guiding me through the imaginary worlds he breathed into life with his words. (Okay, I'll stop being pretentious now, sorry!) But for real, he seemed really wise to me, and the things he said about growing old, falling in and out of love, and the futility of life really resonated with me.
He also displayed a great sense of humour when talking about politics and admitting that the beautiful girls on the streets are much more interesting than wars fought in other countries.
I really loved what he had to say about the craft of poetry itself:
I said, 'A line will take us hours maybe;I definitely agree that being a poet or artist of some sort, can be very exhausting and getting things right can take hours upon hours, if not years. However, he got quite full of himself, when he said that being a poet is harder than being a banker or schoolmaster. I get where he is coming from but I am not a fan of pinning different jobs against one another, especially when they don't share a field.
Yet if it does not seem a moment's thought,
Our stitching and unstitching has been naught.'
I didn't understand the message of all of his poems (sometimes I wasn't even sure if he wrote about sex or rape... yeah, I am not a smart cookie), but that wasn't my intention to begin with. I just wanted to get a first look at the man (and I liked what I saw), and now I can't wait to revisit his poems from time to time.
I made my song a coatYeah, he is just that awesome.
Covered with embroideries
Out of old mythologies
From heel to throat;
But the fools caught it,
Wore it in the world’s eyes
As though they’d wrought it.
Song, let them take it
For there’s more enterprise
In walking naked.
February 11, 2020
How can I, that girl standing there,
My attention fix
On Roman or on Russian
Or on Spanish politics?
Yet here’s a travelled man that knows
What he talks about,
And there’s a politician
That has both read and thought,
And maybe what they say is true
Of war and war’s alarms,
But O that I were young again
And held her in my arms.
(Politics)
My attention fix
On Roman or on Russian
Or on Spanish politics?
Yet here’s a travelled man that knows
What he talks about,
And there’s a politician
That has both read and thought,
And maybe what they say is true
Of war and war’s alarms,
But O that I were young again
And held her in my arms.
(Politics)
March 28, 2024
3,5*
#Irish Readathon
#spin-off#1 “Rememberings”, Sinéad O’Connor
THE COMING OF WISDOM WITH TIME
Though leaves are many, the root is one;
Through all the lying days of my youth
I swayed my leaves and flowers in the sun;
Now I may wither into the truth.
"Yeats has made me wanna write songs but I ain’t ready yet. I haven’t fallen in love as many times as him, the silly old bugger. Always asking a woman to marry him and not getting the message when she said no and then asking her daughter, which makes you know why the mother said no so many times. He’s a freak.(…). But his poems are paintings. My favorite is “No Second Troy,” although I get fed up with people rhyming desire with either fire or pyre. There’s got to be some other option. "
-Sinéad O’Connor
DOWN BY THE SALLEY GARDENS
Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet;
She passed the salley gardens with little snow-white feet.
She bid me take love easy, as the leaves grow on the tree;
But I, being young and foolish, with her would not agree.
In a field by the river my love and I did stand,
And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand.
She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs;
But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears.
#Irish Readathon
#spin-off#1 “Rememberings”, Sinéad O’Connor
THE COMING OF WISDOM WITH TIME
Though leaves are many, the root is one;
Through all the lying days of my youth
I swayed my leaves and flowers in the sun;
Now I may wither into the truth.
"Yeats has made me wanna write songs but I ain’t ready yet. I haven’t fallen in love as many times as him, the silly old bugger. Always asking a woman to marry him and not getting the message when she said no and then asking her daughter, which makes you know why the mother said no so many times. He’s a freak.(…). But his poems are paintings. My favorite is “No Second Troy,” although I get fed up with people rhyming desire with either fire or pyre. There’s got to be some other option. "
-Sinéad O’Connor
DOWN BY THE SALLEY GARDENS
Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet;
She passed the salley gardens with little snow-white feet.
She bid me take love easy, as the leaves grow on the tree;
But I, being young and foolish, with her would not agree.
In a field by the river my love and I did stand,
And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand.
She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs;
But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears.
January 13, 2019
Though leaves are many, the root is one;
Through all the lying days of my youth
I swayed my leaves and flowers in the sun;
Now I may wither in the truth.
Yeats' poems are magic. My heart melts whenever I read them.
My favorites are "When you are old" "Leda and the swan" and "A coat".
Through all the lying days of my youth
I swayed my leaves and flowers in the sun;
Now I may wither in the truth.
Yeats' poems are magic. My heart melts whenever I read them.
My favorites are "When you are old" "Leda and the swan" and "A coat".
December 25, 2021
2.5 rating. Just a short review on this one as it was an experimental genre and it didn’t do much for me. It was neither brilliant nor awful. Just some words mashed together nicely but also in a way that I struggled to visualise.
May 26, 2018
I think Yeats is just not for me.
March 29, 2023
reading this while simultaneously learning about his life was a roller-coaster n a half lemme tell you
August 26, 2018
"Every discolouration of the stone,
Every accidental crack or dent,
Seems a water-course or an avalanche,
Or lofty slope where it still snows
Though doubtless plum or cherry-branch
Sweetens the little half-way house
Those Chinamen climb towards, and I
Delight to imagine them seated there;
There on the mountain and the sky,
On all the tragic scene they stare.
One asks for mournful melodies;
Accomplished fingers begin to play.
Their eyes mid many wrinkles, their eyes,
Their ancient, glittering eyes, are gay.”
I am in awe of Yeats work and his deeply enthralling poems and his poetic brilliance. This poetry collection has my heart, it’s so beautiful in every sense of the word and is gentle, wise, heartfelt and imaginative. Highly recommend it to every traditional verse lover.🌹
“The fascination of what’s difficult
Has dried the sap out of my veins, and rent
Spontaneous joy and natural content
Out of my heart.”
May 1, 2018
"I've often said that all poetry is political. This is because real poems deal with a human response to reality and politics is part of reality, history in the making. Even if a poet writes about sitting in a glass house drinking tea, it reflects politics."
I had to think about this quote by Yehuda Amichai while reading this collection of poems.
Yeat's poetry itself is beautiful in itself and I'm sure you could appreciate him easily only for his mastery of language and his traditional rhymes.
But for fully appreciating him and longing poems like "Easter 1916" the historical context of his struggle as a passionate fighter for Irish freedom was essential, at least to me.
I had to think about this quote by Yehuda Amichai while reading this collection of poems.
Yeat's poetry itself is beautiful in itself and I'm sure you could appreciate him easily only for his mastery of language and his traditional rhymes.
But for fully appreciating him and longing poems like "Easter 1916" the historical context of his struggle as a passionate fighter for Irish freedom was essential, at least to me.
June 3, 2019
This felt somehow nice and gentle.
Yeats’ words move along patiently, despite deeper rooted political meaning and undertones. Nothing too strenuous or exacting, just the quiet tick tock of his beautiful words.
A review from someone who just can’t with the poetry.
Yeats’ words move along patiently, despite deeper rooted political meaning and undertones. Nothing too strenuous or exacting, just the quiet tick tock of his beautiful words.
A review from someone who just can’t with the poetry.
February 6, 2018
I didn't really enjoy it.
February 6, 2017
Highly recommend these two vids:When You Are Old read by Cillian MurphyandAn Irish Airman Forsees His Death by Shane MacGowan
Down by the Sally Gardens
Cuchulain's Fight with the Sea
When You Are Old
read by Cillian Murphy
read by Colin Farrell
The Song of Wandering Aengus
read by Michael Gambon
sung by Donovan
sung by Karen Casey
He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
read by Anthony Hopkins
a scene from Equilibrium
The Folly of being Comforted
Adam's Curse
No Second Troy
The Fascination of What’s Difficult
At Galway Races
September 1913
To a Friend whose Work has come to Nothing
Paudeen
Fallen Majesty
The Cold Heaven
The Magi
A Coat
The Wild Swans at Coole
An Irish Airman Forsees His Death
by Shane MacGowan
read by Lemn Sissay
Two very different performances, both very good
Her Praise
Easter, 1916
Sixteen Dead Men
The Second Coming
read by Dominic West
Sailing to Byzantium
read by Dermot Crowley
from Meditations In Time Of Civil War
Leda and the Swan
read by Tom Hiddleston
Among School Children
from A Woman Young and Old
Lapis Lazuli
What then?
from Under Ben Bulben
Cuchulain Comforted
The Circus Animals' Desertion
Politics
He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
1888
Seven translations of the same poem in Russian.
1
Будь у меня в руках небесный шё��к,
Расшитый светом солнца и луны...
Прозрачный, тусклый или тёмный шёлк,
Беззвёздной ночи, солнца и луны.
Я шёлк бы расстилал у ног твоих.
Но я - бедняк, и у меня лишь грёзы...
И я простираю грёзы под ноги тебе!
Ступай легко, мои ты топчешь грёзы...
2
Имей я неба вышитого шелк
Цвета златых лучей и серебра свеченья,
Туманно-голубой и темно-синий шелк
Из света, тьмы и сумеречной тени
У ног твоих его бы расстелил
Но я бедняк, и все что есть - мечты мои
К твоим ногам я постелил мои мечты
Ступай же осторожно,
по моим мечтам
ступаешь ты.
3
Будь у меня тончайшие шелка,
Что небеса расшили серебром и златом,
Ночною тьмою и сияньем дня
С игрой тонов рассвета и заката,
Устлать твой путь я ими был бы рад.
Но беден я, и лишь свои мечты
Смиренно я кладу к твоим ногам.
Будь осторожна – по мечтам ступаешь ты.
4
Владей небесной я парчой
Из золота и серебра,
Рассветной и ночной парчой
Из дымки, мглы и серебра,
Перед тобой бы расстелил, -
Но у меня одни мечты.
Свои мечты я расстелил;
Не растопчи мои мечты.
5
Имел бы я небом шитую ткань,
А в ней - золотой и серебряный свет;
Темную, синюю, тусклую ткань,
Дней и ночей полумрак-полусвет:
Их расстелил бы под ноги тебе,
Но беден я, у меня лишь мечты.
Я бросил мечты под ноги тебе -
Мягко ступай на мои мечты.
6
Будь у меня плетеный райский ковер,
Тканный золотым и серебристым светом,
Синий, темный иль черный ковер
Ночи, дня иль полусвета
Я расстелил бы его перед твоими ногами,
Но я нищ, и у меня есть лишь мои мечты,
Которые я распластал перед тобой;
Cтупай помягче, ведь ты идешь по моим мечтам.
7
Будь у меня ковер плетеный райский,
Сотканный золотым иль серебристым светом,
Будь черный, синий иль другой,
Будь цвета ночи, дня иль полусвета он-
Я расстелил б его перед тобой!
Но я бедняк и у меня лишь грезы,
Я простираю грезы под ноги тебе,
Ступай по ним легко, мои ты топчешь грезы...
Down by the Sally Gardens
Cuchulain's Fight with the Sea
When You Are Old
read by Cillian Murphy
read by Colin Farrell
The Song of Wandering Aengus
read by Michael Gambon
sung by Donovan
sung by Karen Casey
He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
read by Anthony Hopkins
a scene from Equilibrium
The Folly of being Comforted
Adam's Curse
No Second Troy
The Fascination of What’s Difficult
At Galway Races
September 1913
To a Friend whose Work has come to Nothing
Paudeen
Fallen Majesty
The Cold Heaven
The Magi
A Coat
The Wild Swans at Coole
An Irish Airman Forsees His Death
by Shane MacGowan
read by Lemn Sissay
Two very different performances, both very good
Her Praise
Easter, 1916
Sixteen Dead Men
The Second Coming
read by Dominic West
Sailing to Byzantium
read by Dermot Crowley
from Meditations In Time Of Civil War
Leda and the Swan
read by Tom Hiddleston
Among School Children
from A Woman Young and Old
Lapis Lazuli
What then?
from Under Ben Bulben
Cuchulain Comforted
The Circus Animals' Desertion
Politics
He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
1888
Seven translations of the same poem in Russian.
1
Будь у меня в руках небесный шё��к,
Расшитый светом солнца и луны...
Прозрачный, тусклый или тёмный шёлк,
Беззвёздной ночи, солнца и луны.
Я шёлк бы расстилал у ног твоих.
Но я - бедняк, и у меня лишь грёзы...
И я простираю грёзы под ноги тебе!
Ступай легко, мои ты топчешь грёзы...
2
Имей я неба вышитого шелк
Цвета златых лучей и серебра свеченья,
Туманно-голубой и темно-синий шелк
Из света, тьмы и сумеречной тени
У ног твоих его бы расстелил
Но я бедняк, и все что есть - мечты мои
К твоим ногам я постелил мои мечты
Ступай же осторожно,
по моим мечтам
ступаешь ты.
3
Будь у меня тончайшие шелка,
Что небеса расшили серебром и златом,
Ночною тьмою и сияньем дня
С игрой тонов рассвета и заката,
Устлать твой путь я ими был бы рад.
Но беден я, и лишь свои мечты
Смиренно я кладу к твоим ногам.
Будь осторожна – по мечтам ступаешь ты.
4
Владей небесной я парчой
Из золота и серебра,
Рассветной и ночной парчой
Из дымки, мглы и серебра,
Перед тобой бы расстелил, -
Но у меня одни мечты.
Свои мечты я расстелил;
Не растопчи мои мечты.
5
Имел бы я небом шитую ткань,
А в ней - золотой и серебряный свет;
Темную, синюю, тусклую ткань,
Дней и ночей полумрак-полусвет:
Их расстелил бы под ноги тебе,
Но беден я, у меня лишь мечты.
Я бросил мечты под ноги тебе -
Мягко ступай на мои мечты.
6
Будь у меня плетеный райский ковер,
Тканный золотым и серебристым светом,
Синий, темный иль черный ковер
Ночи, дня иль полусвета
Я расстелил бы его перед твоими ногами,
Но я нищ, и у меня есть лишь мои мечты,
Которые я распластал перед тобой;
Cтупай помягче, ведь ты идешь по моим мечтам.
7
Будь у меня ковер плетеный райский,
Сотканный золотым иль серебристым светом,
Будь черный, синий иль другой,
Будь цвета ночи, дня иль полусвета он-
Я расстелил б его перед тобой!
Но я бедняк и у меня лишь грезы,
Я простираю грезы под ноги тебе,
Ступай по ним легко, мои ты топчешь грезы...
October 20, 2024
Didn’t care for it and just wished for it to end. Yeats’ poetry is simply not my taste.
Read
August 13, 2019I don't know how to rate this. Mainly because I didn't knew what was being said. Also I don't know enough of the history of Ireland to put some of the poems in context.
What I did enjoy were the.. rijm schema's (i don't know the expression in English, the way the words rhymed in a certain way).
What I did enjoy were the.. rijm schema's (i don't know the expression in English, the way the words rhymed in a certain way).
October 4, 2018
I've grown to appreciate this ol' Irish pessimist.
August 5, 2023
A nice collection of poems, though i didn’t understand all of them (i assume this is because of my little knowledge about Irish history), but nonetheless i enjoyed the poems i did understand, though i couldn’t really connect with most of the more political themes of it.
My personal favourites were ‘What Then?’, ‘The Folly of Being Comforted’, ‘He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven’ and ‘When You are Old’
My personal favourites were ‘What Then?’, ‘The Folly of Being Comforted’, ‘He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven’ and ‘When You are Old’
February 13, 2022
One of my favourite poetry collections:>
Read
March 23, 2021Bookoplathon roll #4 (other genre)
October 13, 2022
3.90€ down the drain; I bought this collection without even peaking inside because: 1. I believe in an Oscar Wilde short story he mentions how important it is that the youth reads Yeats (or maybe it was Keats which would explain a lot...) 2. it was cheap; a mistake I shall never repeat; I quite literally gained nothing from reading these poems; I admittedly kinda liked the poem "the second coming" though on second thought I can barely remember what it was about sooo...;
April 30, 2023
Love and beauty for and of a woman. Captivating and kept pulling me in. His language and writing style is mesmerising to say the least.
December 31, 2017
Poignant poetry
February 3, 2020
Read all my reviews onhttp://urlphantomhive.booklikes
I was looking forward to reading this collection of Yeats' poems. I hadn't read anything before, but had of course heard of him. However, I found I was a little bit disappointed, especially by his love-poems. They seemed rather simple to me and either way didn't resonate with me. His poems concerning the situation in Ireland, I liked best in this collection, but I don't think I will be reading more of Yeats.
~Little Black Classics #98~
I was looking forward to reading this collection of Yeats' poems. I hadn't read anything before, but had of course heard of him. However, I found I was a little bit disappointed, especially by his love-poems. They seemed rather simple to me and either way didn't resonate with me. His poems concerning the situation in Ireland, I liked best in this collection, but I don't think I will be reading more of Yeats.
~Little Black Classics #98~
May 22, 2017
For about a euro, this book was worth it. However, I am not amazed by Yeats as a person or his writing in general. However, his poems do rhyme nicely in this collection and there are some incredible lines that shouldn't be forgotten. Yet, I do find that he references swans and women a bit too much for my liking. I would recommend if you're looking for a "classic" Irish poet.
February 19, 2017
A good survey of Yeats' work - one of the eminent poets of the 20th century. I personally love Yeats' late style, although some of the poems in this tiny anthology bored me to death. Highly recommend this book for a leisurely read of poetry once in a while.
January 16, 2018
I occasionally venture off to read poetry, and I hadn't tried Yeats before. Some poems in here did it for me, others less so. Overall I enjoyed the read. And now I know where Cormac McCarthy got his title "No Country for Old Men" from! It was part of a Yeats line of poetry.
July 19, 2023
I didn’t get almost all of these poems and they weren’t particularly in my fave style (apart from the second coming, that one was bae), so though these may be technically good, I don’t feel i can get a good grip on these
May 7, 2017
I loved some of the poems, but others I didn't quite understand. Maybe that's because English isn't my mother tongue, or because I need to become more familiar with reading poetry.
August 16, 2017
amazing selection. so much beauty in such a little book (only 52 pocket-sized pages). hats off to Penguin.
November 26, 2017
"In a field by the river my love and I did stand,
And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand. "
And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand. "
April 29, 2018
More like 2,5 stars.
It’s not that it isn’t good, it just didn’t really peak my interest.
It’s great writing and I’m sure some people will like it more than I did 🤓
It’s not that it isn’t good, it just didn’t really peak my interest.
It’s great writing and I’m sure some people will like it more than I did 🤓
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