William Butler Yeats

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

#gift #i #i think #like #mouth

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 #irish #learn #made #now

Nor dread nor hope attend a dying animal; a man awaits his end dreading and hoping all. ↗

— William Butler Yeats

#attend #awaits #dread #dreading #dying

Take, if you must, this little bag of dreams, Unloose the cord, and they will wrap you round. ↗

— William Butler Yeats

#cord #dreams #little #must #round

The light of lights looks always on the motive, not the deed, the shadow of shadows on the deed alone. ↗

— William Butler Yeats

#always #deed #light #lights #looks

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

#behind #black #broken #feet #god

Think where man's glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was I had such friends. ↗

— William Butler Yeats

#begins #ends #friends #glory #had

Those that I fight I do not hate, those that I guard I do not love. ↗

— William Butler Yeats

#guard #hate #i #i do #love

Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that but simply growth, We are happy when we are growing. ↗

— William Butler Yeats

#growth #happiness #happy #neither #nor

Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking. ↗

— William Butler Yeats

#iron #make #strike #striking #till