Home » William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats 1 An aged man is but a paltry thing, a tattered coat upon a stick, unless soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing for every tatter in its mortal dress. William Butler Yeats Man, Soul, Hands Add to Collection 2 Nor dread nor hope attend a dying animal; a man awaits his end dreading and hoping all. William Butler Yeats Hope, Man, End Add to Collection 3 A line will take us hours maybe; Yet if it does not seem a moment's thought, our stitching and unstitching has been naught. William Butler Yeats Thought, Moment, Line Add to Collection 4 Irish poets, learn your trade, sing whatever is well made, scorn the sort now growing up all out of shape from toe to top. William Butler Yeats Growing Up, Learn, Growing Add to Collection 5 You know what the Englishman's idea of compromise is? He says, Some people say there is a God. Some people say there is no God. The truth probably lies somewhere between these two statements. William Butler Yeats Truth, God, People Add to Collection 6 The years like great black oxen tread the world, and God, the herdsman goads them on behind, and I am broken by their passing feet. William Butler Yeats God, Great, Black Add to Collection 7 I think it better that in times like these a poet's mouth be silent, for in truth we have no gift to set a statesman right. William Butler Yeats Truth, Gift, Better Add to Collection 8 Books are but waste paper unless we spend in action the wisdom we get from thought - asleep. When we are weary of the living, we may repair to the dead, who have nothing of peevishness, pride, or design in their conversation. William Butler Yeats Wisdom, Pride, Thought Add to Collection 9 To be born woman is to know - although they do not speak of it at school - women must labor to be beautiful. William Butler Yeats Women, Beautiful, School Add to Collection 10 Cast your mind on other days that we in coming days may be still the indomitable Irishry. William Butler Yeats mind, May, Days Add to Collection 11 I have known more men destroyed by the desire to have wife and child and to keep them in comfort than I have seen destroyed by drink and harlots. William Butler Yeats Child, Wife, Men Add to Collection 12 Man can embody truth but he cannot know it. William Butler Yeats Truth, Man, Know Add to Collection 13 The creations of a great writer are little more than the moods and passions of his own heart, given surnames and Christian names, and sent to walk the earth. William Butler Yeats Great, Heart, Walk Add to Collection 14 I am of a healthy long lived race, and our minds improve with age. William Butler Yeats Age, Self Confidence, Healthy Add to Collection 15 An intellectual hatred is the worst. William Butler Yeats Hatred, Intellectual, Worst Add to Collection 16 A pity beyond all telling is hid in the heart of love. William Butler Yeats Love, Heart, Beyond Add to Collection 17 Designs in connection with postage stamps and coinage may be described, I think, as the silent ambassadors on national taste. William Butler Yeats Design, Think, Silent Add to Collection 18 I balanced all, brought all to mind, the years to come seemed waste of breath, a waste of breath the years behind, in balance with this life, this death. William Butler Yeats Life, Death, Balance Add to Collection 19 All empty souls tend toward extreme opinions. William Butler Yeats Opinions, Empty, Extreme Add to Collection 20 If suffering brings wisdom, I would wish to be less wise. William Butler Yeats Wisdom, Wise, Suffering Add to Collection 21 The only business of the head in the world is to bow a ceaseless obeisance to the heart. William Butler Yeats Business, Heart, World Add to Collection 22 We are happy when for everything inside us there is a corresponding something outside us. William Butler Yeats Happy, Outside, Everything Add to Collection 23 I heard the old, old, men say 'all that's beautiful drifts away, like the waters.' William Butler Yeats Beauty, Beautiful, Men Add to Collection 24 Out of Ireland have we come, great hatred, little room, maimed us at the start. I carry from my mother's womb a fanatic heart. William Butler Yeats Mother, Great, Heart Add to Collection 1 2 3 next › last »