Nor dread nor hope attend
A dying animal;
A man awaits his end
Dreading and hoping all;
Many times he died,
Many times rose again.
A great man in his pride
Confronting murderous men
Casts derision upon
Suppression of breath;
He knows death to the bone
Man has created death.
In this poem I see “Death” stalking the battle fields and war torn villages and towns. Eagerly reaping up the dead. No respect for age or sex he just collects them all. Not even the animals are safe from him.
In fact the beginning lines of the poem suggest that there is no hope for man nor beast . There is no hope, for man created war and in doing so they opened the gates of hell to let an unstoppable killing machine/ monster into our world.
Sadly I agree ever since the first tribes picked up stones or branches against each other war has been around in one guise or an other ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ modern or ancient…………………..
William Butler Yeats 13 June 1865 – 28 January 1939) was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary society.Yeats had a life-long interest in mysticism, spiritualism, occultism and astrology. He read extensively on the subjects throughout his life, became a member of the paranormal research organisation.
He was born and educated in Dublin but spent his childhood in County Sligo. He studied poetry in his youth and from an early age was fascinated by both Irish legends and the occult.
Yeats proposed to 25-year-old Georgie Hyde-Lees (1892–1968), whom he had met through Olivia Shakespear. Despite warning from her friends—”George … you can’t. He must be dead”( he was 51yrs she accepted,) and the two were married on 20 October. Their marriage was a success, in spite of the age difference, and in spite of Yeats’ feelings of remorse and regret during their honeymoon. The couple went on to have two children, Anne and Michael. Although in later years he had romantic relationships with other women and possibly affairs, George herself wrote to her husband “When you are dead, people will talk about your love affairs, but I shall say nothing, for I will remember how proud you were.”
Yeats may of had affairs after his marriage but had only had two before firstly with Maud Gonne and secondly with Olivia Shakespear.
Poetry Challenge #7 is to create a journal of links and your reactions to poems by established (living or dead poets.) Details are here. Example response is here. Mr. Linky for Challenge #7 is directly below:
Female, wife, full time mother and Grandmother. I am not as happy go lucky as I used to be but I am still bubbling along on simmer! I have three handsome sons all grown and flown.The youngest married with a beautiful wife and two sons of his own. Eleven years ago I was working, running a home, driving and socializing then bang in a split second all that was gone. I had an accident at home. I broke my back, not for the first time, I had broken it 10 years previously as well. Unfortunately this time I had broken it really badly and it was truly messed up so I had to have two operations. I was told before each operation that the outcome could mean I spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. Still as some guy once wrote "I am still standing " yes "better than I ever was " not quite but with the help of a walking stick and as long as I do not stand or sit in one position for too long, I am still standing! Update I no longer use the walking stick . I had lots of friends before the accident but when things like this happen, you loose most of them. Their lives move on and mine stood still and so they left me behind ...I know that is just the way life is but it hurt and always will. Then I looked around and saw those who were still there for me, these friends are the roses in my garden they need to be tended well. They are the diamonds in the dust, I will of been married 50yrs plus this year . Pain and boredom are my enemies now, I have to find different ways to approach life, use my pain befriend it almost...yer right , well that is what they tell me at the pain clinic ROFLMAO ...... if only I could! I have found an outlet for my fears, frustrations and night terrors . I have started writing poetry if that name can be applied to my writing. I hope I do not come over as a moaning winger. I hope I am past all that. I also hope that you might see how the poetry is moving from very dark through the grey and
hopefully in to light ??
I need to update this a little here. I have worked very hard over the years since my accident, I go to the gym regularly, I have a Pilates class and a core class once a week . The guys at the gym and my Pilates teacher cajoled, teased, bullied and encouraged me to abandon my walking stick! :) My back is no longer straight it is C shaped because of the injury and I have lost two and a half inches in height but my Pilates and Core teachers have helped me to stand up as straight and as strongly as possible. Pain and depression are still hanging on my arm but I have weapons to use against them and if I say so myself I cope well.
I have made lots of new friends, real diamonds. I am also very grateful for all the support and help I have encountered here on Wordpress. Hugs and welcome to everyone who visits.
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6 thoughts on “Journal For Poetry Challenge#7 25/03/2012”
Wow, as I was reading this I realized I was listening to the song “Yeats Grave” by The Cranberries…is that coincidence? What are the odds of that? Amazing work, my friend
Willowdot, how very appropriate that you write about a personified Death in this time of ongoing war and horror in so many places in the world. Your photo illustration is most powerful, as well. Kudos to you for speaking out about the never-satisfied appetite of Death, “seeking who he may destroy.” I enjoyed the biographical reminders about W.B. Yeats, a fellow Celt! His wife would make a worthy role model for many in Hollywood today, don’t you think?
Yes we have learnt nothing, Death still talks the many battle fields of this world, he must be tired he has never ceased since man first picked up a rock in anger! As for George yes she could teach a good few Hollywood,wives and husbands a lessen in tight lips!
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willowdot21 
Wow, as I was reading this I realized I was listening to the song “Yeats Grave” by The Cranberries…is that coincidence? What are the odds of that? Amazing work, my friend
Wow! That is an amazing coincidence I have that track as I have most of the Cranberries’work the odds are infinitesimal! Spooky 🙂 🙂
Willowdot, how very appropriate that you write about a personified Death in this time of ongoing war and horror in so many places in the world. Your photo illustration is most powerful, as well. Kudos to you for speaking out about the never-satisfied appetite of Death, “seeking who he may destroy.” I enjoyed the biographical reminders about W.B. Yeats, a fellow Celt! His wife would make a worthy role model for many in Hollywood today, don’t you think?
Yes we have learnt nothing, Death still talks the many battle fields of this world, he must be tired he has never ceased since man first picked up a rock in anger! As for George yes she could teach a good few Hollywood,wives and husbands a lessen in tight lips!
I love Yeats’ work. My favorite poem is The Lake Isle of Innisfree. A masterpiece.
I may be jaded, but I of a mind to think that premature death will be a reality of this world. It always has been, and most likely always will be.
Yeats is amazing and underestimated! As for our world I think yo are right yes it will end quickly and suddenly and hopefully we will not be around!