These are poems by and about the great Irish poet William Butler Yeats, including my poem "Hearthside" which was inspired by his loose Ronsard translation "When You Are Old."
Hearthside is a keeper that brings tears to me, stellar Michael. I imagine Sir Yeats wherever he is, beaming with joy and maybe a smile too, I’m hunting for a photo of him smiling!
A very nice read! I don't remember 'The Balloon of the Mind' and am glad to make its acquaintance. As for Auden's poem on Yeats, I prefer it with the three frequently excised stanzas:
Hearthside is a keeper that brings tears to me, stellar Michael. I imagine Sir Yeats wherever he is, beaming with joy and maybe a smile too, I’m hunting for a photo of him smiling!
I like to think Mr. Yeats would approve of "Hearthside" and Maud Gonne too!
“But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you” the golden apple of the Sun speaking to the silver apple of the Moon.
Such a great line by a great poet!
Senator William Butler Yeats, I seriously serious Irish mystic, intellectual, scholar and Prime Poet of granny G’s, thank you Sir.
I have all the books. Thank you for remind me of this one:
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;
Made me cry
Yeats is one of my favorite poets, and "When You Are Old" is one of my favorite poems, which is why I wrote "Hearthside" in response.
A very nice read! I don't remember 'The Balloon of the Mind' and am glad to make its acquaintance. As for Auden's poem on Yeats, I prefer it with the three frequently excised stanzas:
Time that is intolerant
Of the brave and innocent,
And indifferent in a week
To a beautiful physique,
Worships language and forgives
Everyone by whom it lives,
Pardons cowardice, conceit,
Lays its honors at their feet.
Time that with this strange excuse
Pardoned Kipling and his views,
And will pardon Paul Claudel,
Pardons him for writing well.
To be honest, I didn't realize those lines were missing. Not intentional.
I think Old Auden excised a lot of good stuff written by Young Auden. So it goes.
Yes, Auden was known for revising his earlier poems through retraction.
Randall Jarrell might have advised Auden to focus on his later work!
I remember Jarrell calling the later Auden a rhetoric machine, or something like that. A man neurotically washing and rewashing his hands.