spacer 96
Poem of the Day | Top 30 | Poets | Shopping | Forums | Search | Comments
Today, on November 22nd, 2009, the site contains 196 poets, 8,692 poems and 7,657 comments.
William Butler Yeats - An Image From A Past Life

He. Never until this night have I been stirred.
The elaborate starlight throws a reflection
On the dark stream,
Till all the eddies gleam;
And thereupon there comes that scream
From terrified, invisible beast or bird:
Image of poignant recollection.

She. An image of my heart that is smitten through
Out of all likelihood, or reason,
And when at last,
Youth's bitterness being past,
I had thought that all my days were cast
Amid most lovely places; smitten as though
It had not learned its lesson.

He. Why have you laid your hands upon my eyes?
What can have suddenly alarmed you
Whereon 'twere best
My eyes should never rest?
What is there but the slowly fading west,
The river imaging the flashing skies,
All that to this moment charmed you?

She. A Sweetheart from another life floats there
As though she had been forced to linger
From vague distress
Or arrogant loveliness,
Merely to loosen out a tress
Among the starry eddies of her hair
Upon the paleness of a finger.

He. But why should you grow suddenly afraid
And start - I at your shoulder -
Imagining
That any night could bring
An image up, or anything
Even to eyes that beauty had driven mad,
But images to make me fonder?

She. Now She has thrown her arms above her head;
Whether she threw them up to flout me,
Or but to find,
Now that no fingers bind,
That her hair streams upon the wind,
I do not know, that know I am afraid
Of the hovering thing night brought me.

Added: on November 5th, 2009 at 10:28 PM | Viewed: 1965 times | Comments (1)


An Image From A Past Life - Comments and Information

Poet: William Butler Yeats
Poem: An Image From A Past Life
Volume: Michael Robartes and the Dancer
Year: Published/Written in 1921

Comment 1 of 1, added on November 5th, 2009 at 10:28 PM.

This poem has helped me so much. Not only has its meaning appealed to me, but I'm a procrastinator, and it has given me a great quote to use for my English my tone-word project. Alarmed can be a hard word to find a tone for. Thank you, poetry connection. HJISD HIGHSCHOOL

Vladimir from United States

Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, An Image From A Past Life, has received one comment so far. Click here to read it, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by William Butler Yeats with others on the Poetry Connection poetry forum!

Poem Info

Yeats Info
Copyright © 2003-2009 Gunnar Bengtsson, Poetry Connection. All Rights Reserved.
Buffalo Bills | Online Casinos