"Mad as the Mist and Snow" by W B Yeats (poetry reading)

The poem was written in 1929 when Yeats was 63.

He said, "When I began to grow old I could no longer spend all my time amid masterpieces and in trying to make the like. I give part of everyday to mere entertainment, and it seemed when I was ill that great genius was "Mad as the mist and snow". Already in mid-Renaissance the world was weary of wisdom, science began to appear in the elaborate perspectives of its painters, in their sense of weight and tangibility; man looking for some block where he could lay his head. But better than that, with Jacob's dream threatening, get rid of man himself. Civilisation slept in the masses, wisdom in science. Is it criminal to sleep? I do not know; I do not say it."

Horace was a Roman poet, Cicero a Roman orator, Homer a Greek poet and Plato a Greek philosopher.

WB Yeats & Ezra Pound rented Stone Cottage, Coleman's Hatch, near Ashdown Forest, in 1913. They lived there for three winters at least. He might have been addressing Ezra Pound when he wrote the poem but that's just a guess.

Category:

Entertainment

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• Mad
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• the
• Mist
• and
• Snow
• Yeats
• Ezra
• Pound

[jeremyshambles]

do you happen to know what reference to "Tully" is from? thanks kindly

[SpokenVerse]

Tully was Marcus Tullius Cicero, mentioned in the next stanza.

[Artlitfan]

One of my favorites from the Winding Stair. If it's you reading fine job.

[sonokosuzuki]

@jeremyshambles Hm. Nvm. It's probably Cicero.

[sonokosuzuki]

@jeremyshambles Actually, I think it's a reference to Gaius Valerius Catullus. I don't think he'd make two references to Cicero.

[petpatsu1]

Yes! Keep them coming. Listening to them read is luxurious. Thank you!

[shakespeareintune]

beautifully read--thanks for sharing and keep them a'coming !

[whatrodneysaid]

I recently taught my young cousins how to become swingers of birches. Thanks for sharing these wonderful poems - so well read. I look forward to them.

[jeremyshambles]

@SpokenVerse i appreciate the response and thanks for providing such exquisite poetry, cheers