'The Lady's Second Song' by William Butler Yeats
AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay
WHAT sort of man is coming
To lie between your feet?
What matter, we are but women.
Wash; make your body sweet;
I have cupboards of dried fragrance.
I can strew the sheet.
i{The Lord have mercy upon us.}
He shall love my soul as though
Body were not at all,
He shall love your body
Untroubled by the soul,
Love cram love's two divisions
Yet keep his substance whole.
i{The Lord have mercy upon us.}
Soul must learn a love that is
proper to my breast,
Limbs a Love in common
With every noble beast.
If soul may look and body touch,
Which is the more blest?
i{The Lord have mercy upon us.}
Editor 1 Interpretation
An Interpretation of William Butler Yeats' "The Lady's Second Song"
As I read "The Lady's Second Song" by William Butler Yeats, I couldn't help but feel a sense of mystique and wonder. Like most of Yeats' poetry, this one is drenched in symbolism and metaphors, making it an exciting piece to dive deep into.
Background
"The Lady's Second Song" is a part of Yeats' early work, a collection of poetry called "The Wind Among the Reeds" published in 1899. The poem is believed to be inspired by Yeats' unrequited love for Maude Gonne, a woman he met in 1889 and was infatuated with for many years.
The poem is written in a ballad form, with alternating rhyming lines and a refrain that's repeated after every stanza. The lady in the poem is portrayed as a mystical figure who appears to the speaker in his dreams.
Without further ado, let's dive into my interpretation of this mesmerizing poem.
Stanza 1
"I hear an army charging upon the land,
And the thunder of horses plunging, foam about their knees:
Arrogant, in black armour, behind them stand,
Disdaining the reins, with fluttering whips, the charioteers."
The poem opens with an almost apocalyptic scene of an army charging towards the land. But, as we read further, we realize that this is not a physical army but a metaphorical one. The lady in the poem is an army in herself, charging towards the speaker's heart.
The imagery of horses plunging with foam about their knees and the charioteers with fluttering whips all add to the sense of urgency and impending doom. The lady is not to be taken lightly, and the speaker feels overwhelmed by her presence.
Stanza 2
"They cry unto the night their battle-name:
I moan in sleep when I hear afar their whirling laughter.
They cleave the gloom of dreams, a blinding flame,
Clanging, clanging upon the heart as upon an anvil."
In this stanza, the speaker describes how the army's battle-cry echoes through the night, causing him to moan in his sleep. The lady's power over him is so immense that she even appears in his dreams.
The army's whirling laughter is a stark contrast to their earlier appearance, signifying that their arrival is not just a matter of war, but also a matter of celebration. The lady's arrival is a cause for celebration, for she is the object of the speaker's desire.
The last line of the stanza is particularly powerful, as it describes the lady's effect on the speaker's heart. Her presence is like a hammer striking an anvil, leaving a lasting impact on his heart.
Stanza 3
"They come shaking in triumph their long, green hair:
They come out of the sea and run shouting by the shore.
My heart, have you no wisdom thus to despair?
My love, my love, my love, why have you left me alone?"
This stanza is where we get a glimpse of the speaker's vulnerability. The army of the lady is not just a force to be reckoned with, but it also brings about a sense of longing and desperation.
The image of the army shaking their long, green hair brings to mind the folklore of the Irish Sidhe, the fairy folk who were believed to have long, flowing hair. The lady in the poem could be seen as a representation of the Sidhe, with her mystical powers and ethereal beauty.
The speaker's heart is filled with despair, yet he questions his own wisdom for feeling that way. His love for the lady is so strong that he cannot help but long for her.
Stanza 4
"The sea's waves are proudlier beating on the shore,
And the waves are deep;
My heart, put off your pride,
And drown your dreams in laughter."
This stanza is where the tone of the poem shifts. The speaker implores his heart to put off its pride and give in to the lady's power. He asks his heart to drown its dreams in laughter, implying that the lady's love is worth everything.
The imagery of the sea's waves beating proudly on the shore could be seen as a metaphor for the lady's power. Her waves of love are beating on the shores of the speaker's heart, and he needs to let go of his pride to accept her.
Stanza 5
"This world is full of labouring men,
And men labour and work, and work and labour again.
My heart, let go of grief,
And grasp the joyous labour of the sea."
In this stanza, the speaker brings up the idea of labouring men, who work tirelessly day in and day out. He contrasts this with the joyous labour of the sea, implying that the lady's love is not just an idle pursuit but a labour of joy.
He implores his heart to let go of grief and grasp the joy of the lady's love. The poem ends on a note of hope, with the speaker embracing the lady's power and surrendering himself to her.
Conclusion
"The Lady's Second Song" is a poem that's steeped in metaphors and symbolism. Yeats' use of vivid imagery and powerful language creates a sense of mystique and wonder that draws the reader in.
The poem describes the power of love and the overwhelming feeling it can bring about. The lady in the poem is a representation of the speaker's desire, and her power over him is so immense that it leaves a lasting impact on his heart.
The poem ends on a note of hope, with the speaker surrendering himself to the lady's power. It's a beautiful and mesmerizing piece of poetry that's sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who reads it.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Lady's Second Song: A Masterpiece by William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats, one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, was known for his profound and mystical poetry. His works are often characterized by their use of symbolism, mythology, and the occult. One of his most famous poems, The Lady's Second Song, is a perfect example of his unique style and poetic genius.
The Lady's Second Song was written in 1899 and was published in Yeats' collection of poems, The Wind Among the Reeds. The poem is a part of a series of poems that Yeats wrote about a mythical figure called the Sidhe, which is a supernatural race in Irish folklore. The Sidhe are often depicted as beautiful and mysterious beings who live in a parallel world to ours.
The Lady's Second Song is a beautiful and haunting poem that tells the story of a woman who is in love with a man who is not interested in her. The poem is written in the form of a song, and the woman is the speaker. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each with four lines. The first stanza sets the scene and introduces the woman's longing for her lover. The second stanza describes the beauty of the natural world and how it reflects the woman's feelings. The third stanza is a plea to the man to love her.
The first stanza of the poem is a beautiful and melancholic introduction to the woman's feelings. She describes how she is "sick with love" and how her heart is "aching." The use of the word "sick" suggests that her love is causing her pain and suffering. The repetition of the word "aching" emphasizes the intensity of her emotions. The woman is clearly deeply in love with the man, but he does not return her feelings.
The second stanza of the poem is a beautiful description of the natural world. The woman describes how the "wind is full of the sound of her voice" and how the "trees are alive with the murmur of her hair." The use of personification gives the natural world a sense of life and movement. The woman sees herself reflected in the beauty of the natural world. She is a part of it, and it is a part of her. The use of imagery in this stanza is particularly effective in creating a sense of atmosphere and mood.
The third stanza of the poem is a plea to the man to love her. The woman begs him to "come to me" and to "kiss me." She tells him that she will "make a peace" with him and that they will "live together." The use of the word "peace" suggests that there is some conflict between them that needs to be resolved. The woman is willing to do whatever it takes to be with the man she loves.
The Lady's Second Song is a beautiful and haunting poem that captures the essence of love and longing. Yeats' use of symbolism, mythology, and the occult creates a sense of mystery and magic that is unique to his poetry. The poem is a masterpiece of poetic expression and is a testament to Yeats' genius as a poet.
In conclusion, The Lady's Second Song is a beautiful and haunting poem that tells the story of a woman who is deeply in love with a man who does not return her feelings. The poem is a masterpiece of poetic expression and is a testament to Yeats' genius as a poet. The use of symbolism, mythology, and the occult creates a sense of mystery and magic that is unique to Yeats' poetry. The Lady's Second Song is a timeless work of art that will continue to inspire and captivate readers for generations to come.
Editor Recommended Sites
Prompt Engineering Guide: Guide to prompt engineering for chatGPT / Bard Palm / llama alpacaLearn Rust: Learn the rust programming language, course by an Ex-Google engineer
Deep Graphs: Learn Graph databases machine learning, RNNs, CNNs, Generative AI
NFT Collectible: Crypt digital collectibles
NFT Assets: Crypt digital collectible assets
Recommended Similar Analysis
Introduction to the Songs of Innocence by William Blake analysisSonnet 23: As an unperfect actor on the stage by William Shakespeare analysis
Rumpelstiltskin by Anne Sexton analysis
Putting In The Seed by Robert Frost analysis
Self -Dependence by Matthew Arnold analysis
Little Vagabond, The by William Blake analysis
To A Common Prostitute by Walt Whitman analysis
Leaning Into The Afternoons by Pablo Neruda analysis
The Business Man by Edgar Allen Poe analysis
Leaves Compared With Flowers by Robert Frost analysis