Historical
background
William
Yeats was one of I rish poet and playwright and one of the foremost figures of
20th century literature. He was born in 1865in Sandymount in
Dubline.He was studying law, but abandoned his studies to study art at
Heatherley, s art school in London. He was driving force behind the Irish
literary revival and along with lady Greggory, Edward, Martyn where he served
as its chief during its early years. In 1923 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in
literate as first Irishman so honored for what Nobel committee described as
inspired poetry which in highly artistic form gives expression to spirit of
whole nation. Yeats is generally considered one of the few writers who
completed their greatest works after being awarded the Nobel Prize such as include
The Tower(1928) and The Winding Stair(1929).
He does many works in his life as Coat,
Last confession, Dream of death, Crazed girls, Dramatic, and Prayer for my
daughter poem. He used many themes for these poems as the relationship between
art and politics, the transition from romanticism to modernism, mysticism and
the occult, age and death, images of Irish nature, Irish mythology and Irish
nationalism.
Yeats was important influence on Mairtin O
Direain. The title of album like Flame by Frederik. Magle is derived from quote
from play the land of Heart's Desire.also, in 2011the Waterboys released an
appointment with Mr.Yeats, album that contains fourteen tracks, all of which
are based upon Yeats poetry long term influence on lead-songwriter Mike Scott.
Also that, Yeats poem (no second Troy) is quoted in and is the inspiration for,
the song Yeat's Grave by Irish band the Cranberries
He died at Hotel Ldeal Sejour, in Menton,
France. On 28 January 1939. He was buried after discreet and private funeral at
Roquebrune-cap-Martin.
A prayer for
my Daughter
I
have walked and prayed for this young child an hour
And
heard the sea-wind scream upon the tower,
And
under the arches of the bridge, and scream
In
the elms above the flooded stream;
Imagining
in excited reverie
That
the future years had come,
Dancing
to a frenzied drum,
Out of the murderous innocence of the sea.
May she be granted beauty and yet not
Beauty to make a stranger's eye distraught,
Or hers before a looking-glass, for such,
Being made beautiful overmuch,
Consider beauty a sufficient end,
Lose natural kindness and maybe
The heart-revealing intimacy
Those choose right, and never find a friend.
Analysis
Stanza1
Yeats
is worried about Anne. (I have walked and prayed for this young child hour).the
weather reflects the threatening forces he fears. (Flooded stream) represent
intense forces caused by people as it has strong forces. It is flooded, because
the troublemakers exist in large numbers or the forces are strong. The weather
or external forces caused by war are stormy and destructive. The (elms) are
tossed due to the destructive forces. People are affected. This is rather desperate
and pessimistic, but there is shifts of mood (imagining).when Yeats start to
imagine. He helps his daughter. He decides how she should turn out. This appeases
his worries and give him be excitedly. (Imagining-the future years come dancing
to frenzied drum). Ann's life will pass chaos and dancing to frenzied drum also
indicated the passing the passing years in Ann's life which are represent by
drum beats. Which also symbolize violent and chaotic time? The drum is
frenzied, because of the danger and chaos around Anna.
Anne's innocence is juxtaposed with the
contrasting (sea) which is (murderous) the sea represent the world and crowds
around her and as they are evil, destructive and take advantages of her
innocence, they are (murderous).moreover, the sea or world is termed as
murderous innocence because as part of the sea. Anne's innocence is murderous
to herself, because it enables other to manipulate her.
Literary
devices
He used symbols in (sea wind) and (flooded stream)
Also, he used assonance in (sea wind scream)
Rhyme scheme
aabbcddc
Stanza 2
Yeats hopes
that Anne will be beautiful, but not excessively (may she be granted beauty and
yet not/beauty to make stranger's eye distraught).Beauty is distracting and destructive;
because it causes admirer to be (distraught) and unhappy as result of his
unfulfilled desire to possess this beauty. Besides he may desire her negatively
and steal her innocence. It inspires passion which may be hopeless. She should
not be vain and conceited of her beauty (or hers before looking –glass) Yeats
fears that beauty will make her think that it is sufficient for beauty would
help her. Beautiful people needs not perform act of goodness for her beauty is
sufficient to place her in position of security and acceptance. This causes her
to lose (natural londness) she does not see or appreciate those values of
kindness and virtue. She would think herself superior and strive less without
helping others. They do not have to be kind and despise the physically undesirable.
Furthermore, their beauty allows them to be fastidious in their choice of partners,
having many admirers. Hence, they do not choose the right person as they have
no heart or soul. (Lose----the
heart-revealing intimacy/that choose right) they cannot love truly and care for
veneer and shallow qualities, for they cannot truly feel or know who (the one)
is they are sought for.
Beauty obstructs friend ship as being as being
beautiful causes one to be condescending, malicious and take things for granted.
It causes the loss of human touch for beautiful may tend to boast and despise
their inferiors. They are not true friends. In another perspective. They do not
form true friendship, because other befriend them for the benefit derived from
their appearance and even take advantage of them. The beautiful do not pay
attention to those who make true friends as they believe themselves superior in
beauty, fashion. Furthermore, excessive beauty results in jealousy and broken
friendship. Another point to make that beauty that over- entices may decrease
Anne's virtue and increase her vulnerability as other wish to use her. This is
crucial as in this poem Yeat emphasizes the need for feminine innocence. In the
contrast, plainer person being on lower hierarchy will appreciate the
importance of kindness. In this context beauty is equated with society's
shallowness.
Literary devices
He use personification in (stranger's eye distraught)
He use alliteration in (stranger's eye distraught)
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق