Yeats - Two Poems

These two Yeats poems were very thoughtfully sent to me by nordicsky. You may find his channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/nordicsky. I hadn't read them for a while, and on re-reading thought I'd like to share them with you.

If you have a favourite poem that you'd like read and perhaps commented on (one you think I can't possibly ruin for you!), please send it to me and I will do my best to post it and do it justice.




"When You Are Old" by William Butler Yeats

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim Soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.


"He Wishes For the Cloths of Heaven" by William Butler Yeats

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.

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[MsWriteNow]

I enjoyed your reading of these two pieces and hearing your insights on them.

[PoetLina]

Thank you. Great to hear from you. :-)

[DoorsChick1967]

I love the wording of the first, the truth of the second, reminding me of someone who doesn't believe in my dream. Just powerful, though short.

[PoetLina]

Thank you for leaving this gentle footprint.

[haliastales]

Wow very well done - I have always wanted to adapt one of his poems called 'Gifts' but I'm just so exhausted - great commentary on each poem too - it's so beautiful to see how touched you were by them. 5*

[PoetLina]

Hi, replied on your channel. Best wishes.

[personalimagery]

simply... loved this. your "A Magic Mountain of a Journey" also ' got ' me. thank you, so much. good wishes for the forthcoming week. :)

[sonofwalt]

Just wanted to say again, how much I love this reading. I am glad I stopped by again to listen. And your comments on the poems are so insightful and moving.

I too like, "I've spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly..." Sigh... beautiful. Thank you.

[USERNAMEDSOBER]

hello again, can you please read some sylvia plath, or some wordsworth, or keats or sexton, you have a very nice voice, thank you.

[sonofwalt]

A very moving reading of Yeats. When you got choked up after the second poem, I got choked up too. I love Yeats too. One of his simplest love poems is one of my favorites. "A Drinking Song."

Wine comes in at the mouth/ And love comes in at the eye./ That's all we shall know for truth/ Until we grow old and die./ I lift the glass to my mouth./ I look at you, and I sigh.

I hope I got that all right. I was typing from memory.

Totally off subject, your kitchen is gorgeous! lol

[avisualfeel]

The kitchen book/ Mysterious recipes behold to ye!/ Clarity! Interpretation? Salvation! Replace those taste buds- to your soul/ So, I watch your dance with the king of fairies, how you stir that druid from far, far- so far away!/ 'the' & 'and' I hardly cannot say/ So into the pot I drop- just a bit, a pinch, of two letters I think, That's all!-W&B!

[Poemsapennyeach]

I meant to comment below as Poemsapennyeach. ! My computer always wants me to be xyzllii my 'variety' channel ! Here I am anyway as Poems...!

[xyzllii]

Great ol' Poet Yeats...