'A Dialogue Of Self And Soul' by William Butler Yeats

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My Soul. I summon to the winding ancient stair;
Set all your mind upon the steep ascent,
Upon the broken, crumbling battlement,
Upon the breathless starlit air,
"Upon the star that marks the hidden pole;
Fix every wandering thought upon
That quarter where all thought is done:
Who can distinguish darkness from the soul

My Self. The consecretes blade upon my knees
Is Sato's ancient blade, still as it was,
Still razor-keen, still like a looking-glass
Unspotted by the centuries;
That flowering, silken, old embroidery, torn
From some court-lady's dress and round
The wodden scabbard bound and wound
Can, tattered, still protect, faded adorn

My Soul. Why should the imagination of a man
Long past his prime remember things that are
Emblematical of love and war?
Think of ancestral night that can,
If but imagination scorn the earth
And interllect is wandering
To this and that and t'other thing,
Deliver from the crime of death and birth.

My Self. Montashigi, third of his family, fashioned it
Five hundred years ago, about it lie
Flowers from I know not what embroidery -
Heart's purple - and all these I set
For emblems of the day against the tower
Emblematical of the night,
And claim as by a soldier's right
A charter to commit the crime once more.

My Soul. Such fullness in that quarter overflows
And falls into the basin of the mind
That man is stricken deaf and dumb and blind,
For intellect no longer knows
Is from the Ought, or knower from the Known -
That is to say, ascends to Heaven;
Only the dead can be forgiven;
But when I think of that my tongue's a stone.

II

My Self. A living man is blind and drinks his drop.
What matter if the ditches are impure?
What matter if I live it all once more?
Endure that toil of growing up;
The ignominy of boyhood; the distress
Of boyhood changing into man;
The unfinished man and his pain
Brought face to face with his own clumsiness;

The finished man among his enemies? -
How in the name of Heaven can he escape
That defiling and disfigured shape
The mirror of malicious eyes
Casts upon his eyes until at last
He thinks that shape must be his shape?
And what's the good of an escape
If honour find him in the wintry blast?

I am content to live it all again
And yet again, if it be life to pitch
Into the frog-spawn of a blind man's ditch,
A blind man battering blind men;
Or into that most fecund ditch of all,
The folly that man does
Or must suffer, if he woos
A proud woman not kindred of his soul.

I am content to follow to its source
Every event in action or in thought;
Measure the lot; forgive myself the lot!
When such as I cast out remorse
So great a sweetness flows into the breast
We must laugh and we must sing,
We are blest by everything,
Everything we look upon is blest.

Editor 1 Interpretation

A Dialogue of Self and Soul: A Critical Analysis

William Butler Yeats' "A Dialogue of Self and Soul" is a rich and complex poem that explores the tension between the individual and the collective, the spiritual and the physical, and the eternal and the temporal. The poem is structured as a conversation between the speaker's two selves: the Self, which represents the rational, conscious, and worldly aspect of the speaker's personality, and the Soul, which represents the intuitive, emotional, and spiritual aspect of the speaker's personality.

The poem begins with the Soul lamenting its separation from the Self:

My Soul. I summon to the winding ancient stair;
Set all your mind upon the steep ascent
Upon the broken, crumbling battlement,
Upon the breathless starlit air,
'Upon the star that marks the hidden pole;
Fix every wandering thought upon
That quarter where all thought is done:
Who can distinguish darkness from the soul

The Soul calls upon the Self to join it in a quest for a higher understanding of the self and the world. The winding ancient stair represents the journey of self-discovery, with each step representing a new level of consciousness. The broken, crumbling battlement represents the fragility of the physical world and the need to transcend it. The breathless starlit air represents the realm of the divine, where the Self and the Soul can unite in a higher state of consciousness. The star that marks the hidden pole represents the guiding light of the divine, which can lead the Self and the Soul to a higher understanding of the self and the world.

The Self responds to the Soul's call with skepticism and pragmatism:

The Self. The consecrated blade upon my knees
Is Sato's ancient blade, still as it were,
Intractable and light, 
Whose memories of 
The ancient swordsmitths make it bright

The Self is skeptical of the Soul's quest for self-discovery, and instead focuses on the practicalities of the physical world. The consecrated blade represents the Self's attachment to the physical world, and its unwillingness to let go of its ego and embrace the spiritual world. Sato's ancient blade represents the Self's attachment to tradition and the past, and its reluctance to embrace change and the unknown. The memories of the ancient swordsmiths represent the Self's attachment to the past and its reluctance to embrace the present and the future.

The Soul responds to the Self's skepticism with a call for unity:

My Soul. Why should the imagination of a man
Long past his prime remember things that are
Emblematical of love and war?
Think of ancestral night that can,
If but imagination scorn the earth
And intellect is wandering
To this and that and t'other thing,
Deliver from the crime of death and birth.

The Soul argues that the Self's attachment to the physical world and the past is limiting its potential for self-discovery and spiritual growth. The imagination represents the Soul's ability to transcend the physical world and connect with the divine. The ancestral night represents the realm of the divine, where the Self and the Soul can unite in a higher state of consciousness. The delivery from the crime of death and birth represents the Soul's liberation from the cycle of life and death, and its attainment of immortality.

The Self responds to the Soul's call for unity with a call for practicality:

The Self. But why prefer the burned and broken blade?
From the beginning, stubborn to the end,
Man's heart has bled for all that may befall,
Mortality, empires, be they diffused or hurled,
Wild second-handed and thin-vassaled world.

The Self argues that the Soul's quest for self-discovery and spiritual growth is a futile and impractical pursuit, and that the Self's focus on the physical world and the practicalities of life is a more realistic and pragmatic approach. The burned and broken blade represents the Self's willingness to let go of the past and embrace the present and the future. Man's heart bleeding represents the Self's empathy and compassion for the suffering of all humanity. Mortality and empires represent the transience and impermanence of all things in the physical world. The wild second-handed and thin-vassaled world represents the Self's rejection of the superficial and the false, and its embrace of the authentic and the genuine.

The Soul responds to the Self's call for practicality with a call for transcendence:

My Soul. And therefore I have sailed the seas and come
To the holy city of Byzantium.
O sages standing in God's holy fire
As in the gold mosaic of a wall,
Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre,
And be the singing-masters of my soul.

The Soul argues that the Self's focus on the practicalities of life is limiting its potential for self-discovery and spiritual growth, and that the Soul's quest for self-discovery and spiritual growth is a more meaningful and transcendent pursuit. The sailing of the seas represents the Soul's journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth. The holy city of Byzantium represents the realm of the divine, where the Self and the Soul can unite in a higher state of consciousness. The sages standing in God's holy fire represent the spiritual guides who can lead the Self and the Soul to a higher understanding of the self and the world. The gold mosaic of a wall represents the beauty and artistry of the divine.

The Self responds to the Soul's call for transcendence with a call for practicality and action:

The Self. Consume my heart away; sick with desire
And fastened to a dying animal
It knows not what it is; and gather me
Into the artifice of eternity.

The Self argues that the Soul's quest for self-discovery and spiritual growth is a futile and impractical pursuit, and that the Self's focus on the physical world and the practicalities of life is a more realistic and pragmatic approach. The sick with desire represents the Self's attachment to the physical world and its unwillingness to let go of its ego and embrace the spiritual world. The dying animal represents the transience and impermanence of all things in the physical world. The artifice of eternity represents the Self's quest for immortality and transcendence.

In conclusion, "A Dialogue of Self and Soul" is a complex and nuanced poem that explores the tension between the individual and the collective, the spiritual and the physical, and the eternal and the temporal. The poem is structured as a conversation between the speaker's two selves, the Self and the Soul, who represent the rational, conscious, and worldly aspect of the speaker's personality, and the intuitive, emotional, and spiritual aspect of the speaker's personality, respectively. The poem is a testament to Yeats' skill as a poet and philosopher, and his ability to explore the depths of the human psyche and the mysteries of the divine.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

A Dialogue of Self and Soul: A Masterpiece by William Butler Yeats

William Butler Yeats, the Irish poet, playwright, and Nobel laureate, is known for his profound and complex works that explore the themes of love, death, spirituality, and Irish mythology. Among his many masterpieces, "A Dialogue of Self and Soul" stands out as a powerful and thought-provoking poem that delves into the nature of the human psyche and the struggle between reason and passion, self and soul.

Written in 1919, "A Dialogue of Self and Soul" is a dramatic monologue in which the speaker, identified as the "Self," engages in a conversation with his "Soul." The poem is structured in six stanzas, each consisting of eight lines, with a rhyme scheme of ABABBCBC. The language is rich and symbolic, with metaphors and allusions that require careful analysis to fully appreciate.

The poem begins with the Self addressing the Soul, asking her to come out of her hiding place and face him. The Self is depicted as a rational, logical, and pragmatic entity, while the Soul is portrayed as a passionate, emotional, and intuitive force. The Self accuses the Soul of being a "wilderness of mirrors" that reflects his own desires and fears, and of leading him astray from his goals and duties. The Soul, in turn, defends herself by claiming that she is the source of his creativity, inspiration, and joy, and that without her, he would be a "dullard in the street."

The conflict between the Self and the Soul is not only a personal one but also a universal one, as it reflects the tension between reason and passion, intellect and emotion, that exists in every human being. Yeats, who was deeply influenced by the mystical and esoteric traditions of his time, believed that the human psyche was composed of multiple layers, including the conscious, the unconscious, and the superconscious, and that the integration of these layers was essential for spiritual growth and enlightenment.

In the second stanza, the Self accuses the Soul of being a "foul rag-and-bone shop of the heart," a phrase that has become one of Yeats's most famous and enigmatic lines. The image of a rag-and-bone shop, which refers to a place where old and discarded items are collected and sold, suggests that the Soul is a repository of all the emotions, memories, and experiences that the Self has rejected or forgotten. The Self sees the Soul as a burden that he must carry, a reminder of his past mistakes and weaknesses.

The Soul, however, sees herself as a treasure trove of wisdom and beauty, a source of divine inspiration that can lead the Self to higher realms of consciousness. She reminds the Self of the moments of ecstasy and transcendence that he has experienced in his life, and urges him to embrace his innermost desires and dreams. The Soul represents the feminine principle in the poem, the intuitive and creative aspect of the psyche that is often suppressed or ignored in patriarchal societies.

In the third stanza, the Self accuses the Soul of being a "grey widow-maker," a phrase that suggests that the Soul is a dangerous and destructive force that can lead the Self to ruin. The image of a widow-maker, which refers to a tree or branch that can fall and kill a lumberjack, implies that the Soul is a threat to the Self's safety and stability. The Self sees the Soul as a rebel who defies his authority and undermines his sense of control.

The Soul, however, sees herself as a liberator who can free the Self from his limitations and fears. She reminds the Self of the need for risk and adventure, for the exploration of the unknown and the uncharted. The Soul represents the anima in the poem, the feminine aspect of the male psyche that is often repressed or denied in patriarchal cultures.

In the fourth stanza, the Self accuses the Soul of being a "madman drumming all night," a phrase that suggests that the Soul is a chaotic and irrational force that disturbs the Self's peace and order. The image of a madman drumming, which refers to a person who is possessed by a frenzied rhythm, implies that the Soul is a threat to the Self's sanity and reason. The Self sees the Soul as a temptress who lures him into dangerous and irrational behavior.

The Soul, however, sees herself as a healer who can restore the Self's balance and harmony. She reminds the Self of the need for passion and spontaneity, for the expression of the innermost feelings and impulses. The Soul represents the animus in the poem, the masculine aspect of the female psyche that is often suppressed or ignored in patriarchal societies.

In the fifth stanza, the Self accuses the Soul of being a "ghostly athlete," a phrase that suggests that the Soul is a phantom that haunts the Self's dreams and aspirations. The image of a ghostly athlete, which refers to a person who is both dead and alive, implies that the Soul is a reminder of the Self's mortality and impermanence. The Self sees the Soul as a challenger who questions his values and beliefs.

The Soul, however, sees herself as a guide who can lead the Self to his true destiny and purpose. She reminds the Self of the need for vision and mission, for the pursuit of the highest ideals and goals. The Soul represents the divine spark in the poem, the transcendent aspect of the human psyche that seeks union with the Absolute.

In the final stanza, the Self and the Soul reach a resolution, or at least a temporary truce. The Self acknowledges the importance of the Soul in his life, and admits that he needs her to achieve his full potential. The Soul, in turn, accepts the limitations of the Self, and agrees to work with him rather than against him. The poem ends with the Self and the Soul embracing each other, and with the image of a "starlit dome" that suggests the possibility of transcendence and unity.

In conclusion, "A Dialogue of Self and Soul" is a masterpiece of modernist poetry that explores the complex and dynamic relationship between reason and passion, self and soul. Yeats's use of rich and symbolic language, his mastery of rhythm and rhyme, and his deep understanding of the human psyche make this poem a timeless and universal work of art. The poem challenges us to embrace our innermost desires and dreams, to confront our fears and limitations, and to seek the integration of all aspects of our being. It is a poem that speaks to the heart and the mind, and that invites us to embark on a journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth.

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