'The Stolen Child' by William Butler Yeats
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WHERE dips the rocky highland
Of Sleuth Wood in the lake,
There lies a leafy island
Where flapping herons wake
The drowsy water-rats;
There we've hid our faery vats,
Full of berries
And of reddest stolen chetries.
i{Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With afacry, hand in hand,
For the world's morefull of weeping than you
can understand.}
Where the wave of moonlight glosses
The dim grey sands with light,
Far off by furthest Rosses
We foot it all the night,
Weaving olden dances,
Mingling hands and mingling glances
Till the moon has taken flight;
To and fro we leap
And chase the frothy bubbles,
While the world is full of troubles
And is anxious in its sleep.
i{Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild}
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's morefully of weeping than you
can understand.}
Where the wandering water gushes
From the hills above Glen-Car,.
In pools among the rushes
That scarce could bathe a star,
We seek for slumbering trout
And whispering in their ears
Give them unquiet dreams;
Leaning softly out
From ferns that drop their tears
Over the young streams.
i{Come away, O human child!
To to waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For to world's morefully of weeping than you
can understand.}
Away with us he's going,
The solemn-eyed:
He'll hear no more the lowing
Of the calves on the warm hillside
Or the kettle on the hob
Sing peace into his breast,
Or see the brown mice bob
Round and round the oatmeal-chest.
i{For be comes, the human child,
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
from a world more full of weeping than you
can understand.}
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Stolen Child by William Butler Yeats
Have you ever come across a piece of literature that left you completely mesmerized? One that took you on a journey through the mystical and unknown, awakening your imagination and stirring your soul? The Stolen Child by William Butler Yeats is one such poem. A lyrical masterpiece that transcends time and place, it is a celebration of Irish folklore and the power of the human imagination.
Background
William Butler Yeats, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, was born in Dublin in 1865. His works are known for their lyrical and mystical qualities and their deep immersion in Irish mythology and folklore. Yeats was a central figure in the Irish Literary Revival and helped establish the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923.
The Stolen Child was written in 1886, when Yeats was just 21 years old. It was published in his first collection of poems, The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems, in 1889. The poem is based on Irish folklore and tells the story of fairies who lure a child away from the mortal world into their magical realm.
Literary Analysis
The Stolen Child is a poem of 20 stanzas, each containing four lines. The structure of the poem is simple, but the language and imagery used are rich and evocative. Yeats employs a variety of literary devices to create a sense of enchantment and wonder.
Imagery
One of the most striking features of The Stolen Child is the use of vivid and evocative imagery. Yeats paints a picture of a world of magic and mystery, using images of nature and the supernatural to create a dreamlike atmosphere. The opening stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem:
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.```
Here, Yeats sets the scene for the rest of the poem, describing the darkness that surrounds the narrator and the sense of wonder and fear that overcomes him. The second stanza introduces the fairies, using images of nature to describe them:
```Where the wave of moonlight glosses
The dim grey sands with light,
Far off by furthest Rosses
We foot it all the night,```
The image of the moonlight on the sands creates a sense of mystery and otherworldliness, while the mention of Rosses, a group of islands off the coast of Ireland, adds to the sense of place and time.
### Repetition
Another key literary device used in The Stolen Child is repetition. Yeats repeats certain phrases and words throughout the poem to create a sense of rhythm and incantation. The repeated phrase "Come away, O human child!" is particularly effective, drawing the reader into the world of the fairies and creating a sense of urgency and desire.
### Personification
Yeats also employs personification in The Stolen Child, giving human qualities to the natural world and the supernatural beings that inhabit it. The fairies are described as "leafy" and "waterside" creatures, while the waters themselves are given a voice:
```We foot it all the night,
Weaving olden dances,
Mingling hands and mingling glances
Till the moon has taken flight;
To and fro we leap
And chase the frothy bubbles,
While the world is full of troubles
And is anxious in its sleep.```
The use of personification creates a sense of connection between the natural world and the supernatural, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.
### Theme
The Stolen Child is a poem that explores the theme of escape. The fairies offer the child an escape from the troubles of the mortal world, taking him away to a place of magic and wonder. The poem can be read as a celebration of the power of the imagination and the ability of the human spirit to transcend the limitations of the physical world.
## Interpretation
The Stolen Child is a poem that can be interpreted in many different ways. Some readers may see it as a cautionary tale about the dangers of being seduced by the unknown, while others may see it as a celebration of the power of the imagination.
One interpretation of the poem is that it is a metaphor for the struggle between the creative and the mundane. The child represents the creative spirit, while the "world of troubles" represents the mundane world that seeks to suppress it. The fairies offer the child a way to escape from this struggle and to embrace his creative spirit fully.
Another interpretation of the poem is that it is a celebration of Irish folklore and the power of myth. Yeats was deeply immersed in the mythology and folklore of Ireland, and The Stolen Child can be seen as a tribute to this tradition. The poem captures the sense of magic and wonder that is present in Irish folklore, and celebrates the ability of these stories to inspire and enchant.
## Conclusion
The Stolen Child is a poem that continues to captivate readers to this day. Its rich imagery, lyrical language, and evocative atmosphere create a sense of enchantment and wonder that is rare in literature. The poem can be interpreted in many different ways, but at its heart, it is a celebration of the power of the human imagination and the ability of myth to inspire and enchant. William Butler Yeats may be gone, but his legacy lives on in this timeless masterpiece.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Stolen Child: A Masterpiece of Poetry
William Butler Yeats, one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, wrote The Stolen Child in 1886. The poem is a masterpiece of Irish literature and has been widely acclaimed for its lyrical beauty and haunting imagery. The Stolen Child is a ballad that tells the story of a group of faeries who lure a human child away from his home and into the magical world of the faeries. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail, exploring its themes, symbolism, and literary devices.
The poem begins with the faeries calling out to the child, inviting him to come away with them:
"Where dips the rocky highland Of Sleuth Wood in the lake, There lies a leafy island Where flapping herons wake The drowsy water-rats; There we've hid our faery vats, Full of berrys And of reddest stolen cherries."
The opening stanza sets the scene for the rest of the poem. The faeries are calling out to the child from their hidden world, inviting him to come and join them in their magical realm. The use of imagery in this stanza is particularly effective. The rocky highland and the leafy island create a vivid picture in the reader's mind, while the flapping herons and drowsy water-rats add to the dreamlike quality of the poem.
The second stanza continues the invitation, with the faeries promising the child a life of joy and wonder:
"Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand."
This stanza is perhaps the most famous in the poem, and for good reason. The faeries' invitation to the child is both alluring and ominous. They promise him a life of wonder and adventure, but also suggest that the human world is a place of sadness and sorrow. The use of the phrase "the world's more full of weeping than you can understand" is particularly powerful, as it suggests that the child is not yet old enough to fully comprehend the pain and suffering of the world.
The third stanza introduces the idea of the faeries stealing the child away:
"Where the wave of moonlight glosses The dim grey sands with light, Far off by furthest Rosses We foot it all the night, Weaving olden dances Mingling hands and mingling glances Till the moon has taken flight; To and fro we leap And chase the frothy bubbles, While the world is full of troubles And is anxious in its sleep."
This stanza is perhaps the most mysterious in the poem. The faeries describe their nightly dances and the way they weave their magic under the moonlight. The use of the phrase "foot it all the night" suggests that the faeries are tireless and that their revels go on until dawn. The final lines of the stanza are particularly haunting, as they suggest that while the faeries dance and play, the human world is full of troubles and anxieties.
The fourth stanza introduces the idea of the child being transformed by the faeries:
"Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.
Where the wandering water gushes From the hills above Glen-Car, In pools among the rushes That scarce could bathe a star, We seek for slumbering trout And whispering in their ears Give them unquiet dreams; Leaning softly out From ferns that drop their tears Over the young streams."
This stanza is perhaps the most magical in the poem. The faeries describe their ability to transform the child, to give him "unquiet dreams" and to whisper in his ear. The use of the phrase "ferns that drop their tears" is particularly beautiful, as it suggests that even the plants in the faeries' world are alive and emotional.
The fifth stanza introduces the idea of the child being taken away forever:
"Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.
Away with us he's going, The solemn-eyed: He'll hear no more the lowing Of the calves on the warm hillside Or the kettle on the hob Sing peace into his breast, Or see the brown mice bob Round and round the oatmeal-chest."
This stanza is perhaps the saddest in the poem. The faeries describe the child leaving his home forever, and the things he will no longer hear or see. The use of the phrase "solemn-eyed" is particularly effective, as it suggests that the child is now under the spell of the faeries and has lost his innocence.
The final stanza brings the poem to a close, with the faeries repeating their invitation to the child:
"Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.
For he comes, the human child, To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than he can understand."
This stanza is perhaps the most powerful in the poem. The faeries repeat their invitation to the child, but this time it is clear that the child has accepted. The use of the phrase "he comes" suggests that the child is now on his way to the faeries' world, and that he has left his old life behind. The final line of the poem, "For the world's more full of weeping than he can understand," is particularly poignant, as it suggests that the child has now become one of the faeries, and that he has lost his connection to the human world.
In conclusion, The Stolen Child is a masterpiece of poetry that explores themes of innocence, transformation, and the allure of the magical world. The poem is filled with haunting imagery and powerful symbolism, and its lyrical beauty has captivated readers for over a century. William Butler Yeats was a master of his craft, and The Stolen Child is a testament to his genius.
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