William Butler Yeats’ A Prayer for My Daughter
A Prayer for My Daughter
"A Prayer for my Daughter" is a poem by William Butler Yeats written in 1919 and published in 1921 as part of Yeats' collection Michael Robartes and the Dancer. It is written to Anne, his daughter with Georgie Hyde Lees, whom Yeats married after his last marriage proposal to Maud Gonne was rejec…
Why did Yeats write a prayer for my daughter?
It demonstrates his concern and anxiety over the future wellbeing and prospects of his daughter, Anne. Yeats wrote ‘ A Prayer for my Daughter’ in 1919, shortly after his daughter’s birth and World War II. So the ongoing unsettling feel is visible in the background and in the poet’s mind.
What is a good poem for a prayer for a daughter?
A Prayer for my Daughter. W. B. Yeats - 1865-1939. Once more the storm is howling, and half hid. Under this cradle-hood and coverlid. My child sleeps on. There is no obstacle. But Gregory's wood and one bare hill. Whereby the haystack- and roof-levelling wind, Bred on the Atlantic, can be stayed;
What is the meaning of the poem baby by William Yeats?
Yeats wrote a poem of longing for stability for his infant daughter in the aftermath of World War I, a time in which the world seemed entirely unsettled. This is a backward-looking poem, dreaming of a more ordered and traditional world, perhaps one that has existed only in the imagination. ...
Who wrote “a prayer for my daughter?
A LitCharts expert can help. The Irish poet William Butler Yeats wrote “A Prayer for my Daughter” in 1919, two days after the birth of his daughter, Anne, and included it in his 1921 collection, Michael Robartes and the Dancer.
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What is the basic message behind A Prayer for my Daughter?
In the poem, a speaker (usually read as Yeats himself) prays about the type of woman he hopes his daughter will become and the kind of life he hopes she will have. At its core, the poem expresses a father's heartfelt wishes for his newborn daughter.
What is Yeats first prayer for his 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.
What kind of poem is A Prayer for my Daughter?
To put the matter short, the poem is not a prayer of the ordinary kind, since no god is addressed, but it is a set of wishes that the poet gives to his daughter, a wish that his daughter should not develop the qualities that would compel her to face the cruelty of the world.
What qualities does the poet pray for his daughter?
Ans. The poet solicits for his daughter a life of beauty accompanied by natural kindness and heart revealing intimacy. He wishes his daughter to have qualities like soothing beauty, courtesy and natural gladness which may lead her to a life of custom and ceremony.
Why is Yeats mind filled with gloom as he walks and pray for his daughter?
A great gloom is on Yeats' mind and is consumed with anxiety as to how to protect his child from the tide of hard times ahead. The poet keeps walking and praying for the young child and as he does so he is in a state of reverie. He feels a kind of gloom and worry about the future of his daughter.
What types of virtues does Yeats desire from his daughter in the poem A Prayer for My Daughter?
The poet wants his daughter to cultivate natural gladness that means the scattering of happiness and peace around.
What kind of beauty does the poet want for his daughter?
2) What sort of beauty does the poet solicit for his daughter? Ans: The poet solicits for her a life of beauty, accompanied by natural kindness and heart-winning courtesy. He wants his daughter to avoid hatred.
Who wrote the poem A Prayer for My Daughter?
William Butler YeatsA Prayer for My Daughter / AuthorWilliam Butler Yeats was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish literary establishment who helped to found the Abbey Theatre. Wikipedia
What does the poet pray for?
Solution : The poet prays to the Almighty for a 'heaven of freedom' for his country where people would be fearless, knowledgeable, truthful, dignified, hard-working, logical and broadminded.
What message does the poet give to his countrymen in the poem?
The poet wants his countrymen to not ill-treat anyone on the basis of his caste, creed, religion or language. He wants his countrymen to be free from every kind of discrimination. He also wants them to be fearless, confident, honest and modest. He wants them to work tirelessly and strive for perfection.
Which four qualities are mentioned in this poem?
Answer: Explanation: In the poem 'The Divine Image', the attributes such as mercy, pity and peace are personified and listed as four virtues of delight. According to the poet, people pray in these times of distress and evoke god who is deemed to be the father of the humankind.
Who wrote the poem A Prayer for My Daughter?
William Butler YeatsA Prayer for My Daughter / AuthorWilliam Butler Yeats was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish literary establishment who helped to found the Abbey Theatre. Wikipedia
Where is the child sleeping A Prayer for My Daughter?
Summary of the poem. The poet expresses deep concern for his infant daughter who sleeps in a cradle. The roof-levelling strong wind is blowing outside. She is well covered and protected from the onslaughts of violent wind.
What does Yeats pray about?
In the poem, a speaker (usually read as Yeats himself) prays about the type of woman he hopes his daughter will become and the kind of life he hopes she will have. At its core, the poem expresses a father's heartfelt wishes for his newborn daughter.
What is the meaning of "A Prayer for My Daughter"?
At its core, the poem expresses a father's heartfelt wishes for his newborn daughter. In a larger sense, "A Prayer for my Daughter" is a rich, complex reflection on the joys and struggles of parenthood, Irish politics, and Yeats's own past.
Can you tear the Linnet from the leaf?
56 Can never tear the linnet from the leaf.
What does Yeats want from his daughter?
As she grew up, he wants her to be happy and content . He wants her to become “a flourishing hidden tree” and her thoughts like a “linnet” referring to its innocence and cheerfulness. Like a linnet, he wants her to be satisfied in herself, and infect others with her happiness. Further, he wants her to live like a “laurel” rooted in a particular place. The poet reveals his wish on his daughter being rooted in the tradition.
What does the poem "A Prayer for My Daughter" mean?
The poem ‘ A Prayer for My Daughter’ opens with the image of the child sleeping in a cradle half hidden by its hood. The child sleeps innocently amidst the “howling storm” outside, but Yeats couldn’t settle down due to the storm inside. The storm howling symbolizes destruction mentioned by the poet in his ‘The Second Coming’.
What does the word "scream" mean in the poem "A Prayer for My Daughter"?
In the second stanza of ‘ A Prayer for My Daughter’, Yeats worries about the future are further explained. He hears the sea screaming upon the tower, under the bridge and elms above the flooded stream. The onomatopoeia word “Scream” and the “flooded stream” symbolize the poet’s overwhelming anxiety for his daughter. Also, it refers to the great flood in the Bible. Due to his haunting fear, he imagines the future coming out of sea and dances to the frenzied drum, referring to war and bloodshed. In the last line, the poet employs paradox “murderous innocence” to contrast the world and his daughter, which also recalls the images of “blood-dimmed tide” in ‘ The Second Coming ’.
What does Yeats think about self contentment?
He believes that kind, self-contained, traditionally rooted women are incorruptible. The poet considers hatred to be the cause of all evil and prays that her to be left off that evil.
What does Yeats say about Helen?
In stanza four of ‘ A Prayer for My Daughter’, Yeats substantiates his view on how excessive beauty has always been a source of trouble and destruction. He turns to Helen in Greek mythology, considered to be the most beautiful woman on earth, brought the doom upon her, and many others.
What is the stanza form of the poem "In Memory of Major Robert Gregory"?
The stanza form is the same as employed by him in ‘In memory of Major Robert Gregory’. Each stanza follows a regular rhyme scheme of “AABBCDDC”. The poem follows a metrical structure that alternates between “ iambic pentameter ” and “ trochaic pentameter ”.
What is the meaning of "A prayer for my daughter"?
‘A Prayer for my Daughter’ by William Butler Yeats speaks about the poet’s family. It demonstrates his concern and anxiety over the future wellbeing and prospects of his daughter, Anne.