'The Black Tower' by William Butler Yeats

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Say that the men of the old black tower,
Though they but feed as the goatherd feeds,
Their money spent, their wine gone sour,
Lack nothing that a soldier needs,
That all are oath-bound men:
Those banners come not in.

There in the tomb stand the dead upright,
But winds come up from the shore:
They shake when the winds roar,
Old bones upon the mountain shake.

Those banners come to bribe or threaten,
Or whisper that a man's a fool
Who, when his own right king's forgotten,
Cares what king sets up his rule.
If he died long ago
Why do you dread us so?

There in the tomb drops the faint moonlight,
But wind comes up from the shore:
They shake when the winds roar,
Old bones upon the mountain shake.

The tower's old cook that must climb and clamber
Catching small birds in the dew of the morn
When we hale men lie stretched in slumber
Swears that he hears the king's great horn.
But he's a lying hound:
Stand we on guard oath-bound!

There in the tomb the dark grows blacker,
But wind comes up from the shore:
They shake when the winds roar,
Old bones upon the mountain shake.

Editor 1 Interpretation

The Black Tower by William Butler Yeats: A Masterpiece of Symbolism

As I read William Butler Yeats’ poem, The Black Tower, I’m struck by how powerfully it evokes a sense of mystery, foreboding, and wonder. This is a poem that operates on many levels, and yet each one is carefully crafted to create a singular, unified effect.

At its core, The Black Tower is a poem about transformation. It tells the story of a prince who abandons his kingdom and journeys to a distant tower, where he undergoes a series of mystical trials that ultimately leave him transformed into a great, powerful king. But this is no straightforward fairy tale. Yeats uses a wealth of symbols, imagery, and language to create a dreamlike, surreal atmosphere that keeps us guessing at every turn.

One of the most striking things about The Black Tower is its use of color. Throughout the poem, we encounter a series of vivid and evocative images that are suffused with different hues and tones. The opening stanza, for example, describes the prince’s journey through “fields by turns in thousands gay.” Here, the word “gay” is used in its original sense of “bright” or “sparkling,” and it sets the tone for the entire poem.

As the prince nears the tower, however, the colors begin to darken and intensify. We hear of “a great black tower” that “stood up in the air,” and we see it “shaped like a spear,” which gives it a menacing, almost phallic quality. The tower is surrounded by a moat that is “black as midnight,” and the prince must cross it on a “bridge of silver” that seems frail and vulnerable in comparison.

What do these colors and images signify? There are many possible interpretations, but one that seems particularly compelling is that they represent the prince’s journey from innocence to experience. The gay, bright fields at the beginning of the poem suggest a world of beauty and wonder, but as the prince draws closer to the tower, he enters a darker, more complex realm. The tower itself is a symbol of mystery and power, but it is also a warning of danger and risk.

The prince’s journey through the tower is similarly fraught with symbols and challenges. He encounters a series of rooms, each of which is guarded by a different animal. The first room is guarded by a lion, the second by a serpent, the third by a dragon, and the fourth by an eagle. Each animal represents a different aspect of the prince’s psyche or spiritual nature, and each tests him in a different way.

The lion, for example, represents courage and strength, but it also embodies the prince’s own potential for violence and aggression. The serpent, by contrast, represents cunning and wisdom, but it also embodies the prince’s own potential for deceit and treachery. And so on.

As the prince moves through each room, he is transformed in some way. He gains new knowledge, new insights, and new powers. But he also risks losing his identity altogether. In the fourth and final room, for example, he encounters a woman who is described in almost mystical terms:

Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were full of might,
As is the blackbird’s wing,
And her lips were like the foam.

This woman represents the prince’s ultimate goal: mastery over himself and the world around him. But she is also a symbol of something else: the dark, mysterious forces that lie at the heart of human experience. The prince is tempted to stay with her, to lose himself in her, but he resists:

And he bade the woman rise,
And played a measure,
And he bade her arise
And come with him where the surges are.

In this passage, I’m struck by the music of the language, the way the words seem to dance and sing. Yeats is a master of language, and he uses it to great effect here. But he also uses it to create a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty. What exactly is the prince playing? What does it mean to be where “the surges are”? These questions are left unanswered, and it’s up to the reader to fill in the gaps.

In the end, the prince emerges from the tower transformed. He has conquered his fears, faced his demons, and gained new insight into himself and the world around him. But he is also humble and aware of his own limitations. He knows that he must continue to learn and grow, and that the journey never truly ends.

As I read The Black Tower, I’m struck by how powerful it is as a work of art. The images, symbols, and language all work together to create a singular, unified effect. But I’m also struck by how open it is to interpretation. There are many different ways to read this poem, and each one seems to reveal something new and profound about the human experience. Whether you see it as a story of transformation, a meditation on the nature of power, or something else entirely, The Black Tower is a masterpiece of symbolism and imagination.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

The Black Tower: A Poem of Mysticism and Symbolism

William Butler Yeats, the Irish poet and playwright, is known for his works that explore mysticism, mythology, and symbolism. His poem, The Black Tower, is a prime example of his fascination with these themes. The poem, written in 1934, is a complex and enigmatic work that requires careful analysis to understand its meaning and significance.

At its core, The Black Tower is a poem about the search for spiritual enlightenment. The speaker of the poem is on a quest to find the Black Tower, a symbol of spiritual knowledge and wisdom. The tower is described as being "blackened by the fires of the heart," suggesting that it has been purified by the trials and tribulations of the spiritual journey.

The poem is divided into three parts, each of which explores a different aspect of the speaker's quest. In the first part, the speaker describes his journey through a landscape that is barren and desolate. He encounters a group of people who are also searching for the Black Tower, but they are lost and confused. The speaker, however, is determined to continue on his quest, even though he knows that the path ahead is difficult and dangerous.

The third part of the poem is the most mystical and symbolic. The speaker finally reaches the Black Tower, but it is shrouded in darkness and mystery. He hears a voice calling out to him, but he cannot understand what it is saying. He climbs the tower, but the stairs are steep and treacherous. Finally, he reaches the top of the tower and is greeted by a vision of the divine.

The Black Tower is a complex and multi-layered poem that requires careful analysis to understand its meaning and significance. At its core, the poem is about the search for spiritual enlightenment, and the difficulties and challenges that one must overcome on that journey. The Black Tower itself is a symbol of spiritual knowledge and wisdom, and the journey to reach it is a metaphor for the spiritual journey that we all must undertake.

The barren and desolate landscape that the speaker travels through in the first part of the poem is a symbol of the spiritual wasteland that many people find themselves in. The people that the speaker encounters who are lost and confused represent those who have lost their way on the spiritual journey. The speaker's determination to continue on his quest, despite the difficulties and dangers, is a testament to the importance of perseverance and determination in the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment.

The second part of the poem is more introspective, as the speaker reflects on his own spiritual journey. He acknowledges that he has made mistakes and has been led astray by false prophets and false teachings. This is a common experience for many people on the spiritual journey, as there are many false paths and false teachings that can lead one astray. However, the speaker's determination to continue on his quest, despite these setbacks, is a testament to the importance of staying true to one's own spiritual path.

The third part of the poem is the most mystical and symbolic. The Black Tower itself is shrouded in darkness and mystery, representing the unknowable nature of the divine. The voice that the speaker hears calling out to him is a symbol of the divine calling out to us, but often in a language that we cannot understand. The steep and treacherous stairs that the speaker must climb to reach the top of the tower represent the difficulties and challenges that we must overcome on the spiritual journey. Finally, the vision of the divine that the speaker sees at the top of the tower represents the ultimate goal of the spiritual journey, which is to experience the divine directly.

In conclusion, The Black Tower is a poem of mysticism and symbolism that explores the theme of the search for spiritual enlightenment. The Black Tower itself is a symbol of spiritual knowledge and wisdom, and the journey to reach it is a metaphor for the spiritual journey that we all must undertake. The poem is divided into three parts, each of which explores a different aspect of the speaker's quest. The barren and desolate landscape that the speaker travels through in the first part of the poem is a symbol of the spiritual wasteland that many people find themselves in. The second part of the poem is more introspective, as the speaker reflects on his own spiritual journey. The third part of the poem is the most mystical and symbolic, as the speaker finally reaches the Black Tower and experiences a vision of the divine. Overall, The Black Tower is a powerful and enigmatic work that continues to inspire and intrigue readers to this day.

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