Summary & Analysis of A Prayer for My Daughter: W.B Yeats
About The Poem
This poem 'A Prayer for My Daughter' was written by William Butler Yeats for his infant daughter, Anne. He worries about her. Maud Gonne was a radical, opinionated, intelligent woman he had loved, but who had rejected his proposals. In this poem, he vents his thoughts on her. At the age of 52, he married a half aged woman to him named Georgie Hyde Lees and Anne was their first child.
The poem consists of ten eight-line verses, which divide into five pairs of verses were I and II, setting the scene; III and IV, first wish for the girl, let her not be too beautiful; V and VI, the second wish, let her be kind; VII and VIII, third wish, let her not be a modern woman; IX and X, conclusion
Main Summary of The Poem
“Prayer for My Daughter” is a beautiful personal poem by William Butler Yeats, reflecting his gloomy mood and a fear of a disturbing future. The poem was composed in 1919 and appeared in 1921. It was written during World War I; thus, it reflects the post-war agitation that was prevalent during that time. Though the war ended but Ireland was still in the disturbance. William Butler Yeats’ daughter Annie was born at that time, and the poet was worried for her future. He is worried that his infant daughter has to face the challenges and hardships of the future and how best would she be able to fight them. The poet suggests some characteristics that she must undertake which can sustain her future and keep her safe and happy.
Stanza-Wise Analysis of The Poem
Stanza 1:
Under this cradle-hood and coverlid
The weather is a reflection of Yeats’ feelings about the post-war period which was dangerous. Here he personified the “storm” which is howling. The “storm” works as also a symbol which means outside forces that can threaten the baby’s safety. The “cradle-hood” and “coverlid.” symbolizing Anne’s innocence “And half hid” shows that Anne is protected by the temporary “coverlid.” Or bed cover or quilt which cannot save her all lifelong.
But Gregory’s wood and one bare hill
Anne is surrounded by the violent forces around her. The forces may be riots, violence, starvation, or decay of moral values. But she is ignorant to the violence around her because she “sleeps on”. Her ignorance protects her from the uneasy knowledge. But Robert Gregory’s father could not protect him from death.
Bred on the Atlantic, can be stayed;
And for an hour I have walked and prayed
Because of the great gloom that is in my mind
The poem opens in the Yeats home on the west coast of Ireland, where a stormy wind is blowing almost straight off the Atlantic Ocean. It is making the poet think and gloomy of the stormy world he has known, just coming out of the First World War (1914-1918), in which his baby girl will have to grow up. Here, “Roof-levelling wind” symbolizes turbulent forces like riots, war, murder or social decoy.
Stanza-2
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;
Yeats is worried about Anne. He cannot sit stably and have a perambulation in his room. He sees the weather reflects threatening forces like big flooded streams and tidal waves. “Flooded stream” is a complex metaphor that represents huge harm caused by wrongdoer people. It is “flooded” because the flows of troublemakers exist in large numbers which is strong as a flood. The weather that the poet created here is not merely whether we think of as hot or cold, rather this weather is the weather of war. So the weather is stormy and destructive which shakes the “elm” trees. The “elms” are tossed due to destructive forces. So here we find another excellent metaphor. Here, elms are the people who are affected and fearful and screaming for the war. And the weather which affects the elms meaning people is nothing but war, social decay etc.
That the future years had come,
Dancing to a frenzied drum,
Out of the murderous innocence of the sea.
Here, Yeats is thinking with great reverie or anxiety that the turbulent weather of war has already visited the world that was supposed to happen later in future he doubted. Yeats is concerned that he hears the overloaded harsh sound of the war drums.
Anne’s innocence is juxtaposed with the contrasting “sea” which is “murderous.” “murderous innocence” is an oxymoron. The sea represents the world and the crowds around her, and as they are evil, destructive and take advantage of her innocence, they are “murderous.” Moreover, the “sea” or the world is termed as “murderous innocence” because as part of the “sea”, Anne’s innocence is ‘murderous’ to herself because it enables others to manipulate her.
Complete Summary of Stanza-1&2
Setting the scene: the poem opens in the Yeats home on the west coast of Ireland, where a stormy wind is blowing almost straight off the Atlantic Ocean. It is making the poet think of the stormy world he has known, just coming out of the First World War (1914-1918), in which his baby girl will have to grow up (verse I). He has been praying for her hard, because just as the wind is tormenting every feature of the landscape around, Yeats can picture the whole world being whipped to a frenzy in the years to come, by some wild force like the wind off the sea (v.III). He has an intuition of what the 20th century will be like!
Stanza-3
Beauty to make a stranger’s eye distraught,
Or hers before a looking-glass, for such,
Being made beautiful overmuch,
Yeats prays that Anne will be beautiful but not excessively. Beauty can be distracting and destructive because it draws the attention of all even if he is an unknown person. The much beauty makes him “distraught” and unhappy as if he cannot fulfil his desire to possess this beauty. Even Anne also can be derailed for the beauty she has. If she loves her beauty exceedingly, it will make her stand repeatedly in front of the mirror which ultimately draws her away from the very practical life of hard times.
Lose natural kindness and maybe
The heart-revealing intimacy
That choice is right, and never find a friend.
Yeats fears that beauty will make her think that it is sufficient because beauty would help her. Beautiful people are more attractive. They can get more favours. For this, Anne may think that she needs not to perform acts of goodness because her beauty is sufficient to place her in a position of security and acceptance. This causes her to lose “natural kindness”. She does not see or appreciate the values of kindness and virtue. She would think of herself as superior without helping others. Furthermore, having many admirers of the beauty of beautiful people allows them to be fastidious in their choice of partners. Hence, they cannot love truly and care for outfits and showy qualities, for they cannot truly feel or know who “the one” is they are looking for.
Stanza-4
And later had much trouble from a fool,
While that great Queen, that rose out of the spray,
Being fatherless could have her way
Yet chose a bandy-leggèd smith for man.
Yeats alludes to Greek mythology. He brings here Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. Being free from parental control, she could marry as she wanted. But, with all her power and advantages “chose a bandy-legged smith for man” (Hephaestus) – someone inferior to her. Then she marries Menelaus, a much older man than her. Again, Helen elopes with the prince of Troy But she is doomed although she is the daughter of God Zeus.
Helen was beautiful and was granted a woman. Her beauty makes her fool. Helen had no father to guide her. Yeats intends to guide his daughter in the choice of a suitable life partner.
A crazy salad with their meat
Whereby the Horn of Plenty is undone.
The Horn of Plenty was a horn given by Zeus. The possessor of this Horn would be granted his wishes. “Whereby the Horn of Plenty is undone.” This is because Maud Gonne misused her gifts of intellect, grace and beauty. She also misused the benefits she could have from John McBride, her husband. She could obtain what she desired with these gifts – similar to the Horn of Plenty. John McBride is symbolized as an insubstantial “salad.” Maud Gonne wasted her supposed power; she could have done better for herself, instead she made the wrong choice or desire. For her right chaise is undone, the horn of plenty is undone.
Complete summary of Stanza 3 & 4
First wish: with half a century’s experience of life behind him, the poet hopes firstly that his little girl will not be too beautiful. Too much beauty could distract either the young men around her, or herself because if it became her purpose in life, she could turn self-centred and unkind, and finish up being left alone (v.III). Yeats recalls from ancient Greece two examples of very beautiful but unhappy women: Helen of Troy and the goddess of love, Aphrodite (today we might think of fashion models). There is some craziness that gets into very beautiful women, Yeats has observed, so that all their gifts turn poor (v.IV)
Stanza 5
Hearts are not had as a gift but hearts are earned
By those that are not entirely beautiful;
Yeats wants Anne to be courteous. Love does not come freely and unconditionally. Love is not inspired by mere physical beauty; it is earned by good efforts “by those who are not” even “beautiful” but are kind and helpful.
For beauty’s very self, has charm made wise,
And many a poor man that has roved,
Loved and thought himself beloved,
From a glad kindness cannot take his eyes.
Many people foolishly love beautiful women depending only on their outer beauty. They think of these women as their beloved or they are loved by these beautiful women. Yeats tells these men fool, poor and stupid. Because, these men are “charm made wise”, in a single word “stupid” as the glory of kindness cannot attract their eyes. According to Yeats, the “Charm” of a good woman has charmed a man eventually. He becomes “wise” by realizing the goodness of loving a kind woman.
An ugly woman “cannot take his eyes” because she is not physically beautiful. But her kindness makes him glad. This could be a reference to Yeats’ wife, Georgie Hyde Lees who was not beautiful, but they had a happy marriage. Georgie loved him very much. The poet praises good, unbeautiful women like Georgie who should be loved more by men compared to the harsh and beautiful one Maud Gonne.
Stanza 6
That all her thoughts may like the linnet be,
And have no business but dispensing round
Their magnanimities of sound,
Here, in this stanza, the poet uses many literary terms like, symbolism, metaphor, simile etc. Yeats hopes that his daughter will grow and flourish with virtue and modesty. She must be “hidden” – not too open and opinionated like Maud Gonne. A “tree” is fresh, soothing and natural. Yeats wishes that Anne will have pleasant thoughts. He wants her to talk about good, pleasant things. The linnet is a bird that flies, representing a merry, sweet, girl – not too serious, bombastic and violent like Maud Gonne.
He uses a linnet bird as a nice metaphor that makes merrymaking sounds around the natural trees without any seriousness. It is also similar to bright though as it is a bright coloured bird.
Nor but in merriment a quarrel.
Yeats wants Anne to chase and quarrel only in merriment. He wants her to be happy and not too ambitious or opinionated. He does not want her to “: chase” ambition ruthlessly. Here, The “quarrel” indicates simple arguing for fun.
Rooted in one dear perpetual place.
Yeats wants Anne to have solid stability in her mind. “Rooted in one dear perpetual place.” This means she should be confined in a single marital life at a single home. The home is happy, so it is “dear.” This may also indicate a loyalty to one man. Maud Gonne had a relationship with Lucien Millevoye – with two premarital children but married John McBride. Yeats wants Anne to be loyal to one man, unlike Maud Gonne.
Here, Yeats uses mythology. The “green laurel” is a metaphor that refers to the nymph Daphne who was pursued by Apollo. Eager to protect her virtue, Daphne turned into a laurel tree. Similarly, Yeats wants Anne to be virtuous, unlike Maud Gonne. The word “green” in turn may symbolize peace, innocence and youth.
Complete Summary of Stanza 5 & 6
Second wish: for his own girl the poet wishes that she may have the kindness of heart rather than beauty because whereas a woman’s exterior beauty can turn men into complete fools, her inner warmth and charm can make a man lastingly happy (v.V). May his girl grow and flourish like a tree hidden away, may her thoughts be as tuneful as the song of a bird, rejoicing everyone around, getting into no arguments or silly pursuits, rooted and thriving in one place, like a laurel-bush, happy to stay at home (v.VI).
Stanza-7
The sort of beauty that I have approved,
Prosper but little has dried up of late,
Yeats states that whom he loved was beautiful but not prosperous with virtues. For loving such a heart or the mind of Maud Gonne, his mind cannot be benefited but “has dried up of late” or weakened, tired and not stimulated. He has mentioned her deficiencies.
May well be of all evil chances chief.
If there’s no hatred in a mind
Assault and battery of the wind
Can never tear the linnet from the leaf.
However, he states that hatred is the worst thing and paves the way to do everything which is chiefly evil. The” battery of wind” symbolizes the destructive forces around Anne and it “cannot tear” Anne. Here, linnet symbolizes Anne and leaf symbolizes perpetual married life. Actually, “Linnet and “leaf” portray something fragile. Sufferings and destructive forces cannot destroy the fragile who do not hate as their minds are clear, calm and free. Because negative thoughts make us suffer.
Stanza 8
So let her think opinions are accursed.
The hatred of an opinionated intellectual like Maud Gonne is the worst because it is strong, destructive, and opinionated. The intellectual resist opposition and fights for his cause. There are good reasons for this cause and hatred. Trivial hatred is weak because there is little reason. An intellectual fights for a cause with passion and determination because he/she is determined and clever. Yeats does not want Anne to be over-opinionated. So he wishes “let her think opinions are accursed.”
Out of the mouth of Plenty’s horn,
Because of her opinionated mind
Barter that horn and every good
By quiet natures understood
For an old bellows full of angry wind?
Yeats states that Maud Gonne had plentiful gifts which she exchanged or lost for her strong opinion. The horn here is the “Horn of Plenty” quoted before in the last line of stanza 4 symbolizes the gifts given by god. The “bellows full of angry wind” depicts her strong opinions. “and every good / By quiet natures understood” are her advantages which are understood and appreciated by people with quiet natures. This makes sense especially with McBride’s abuse of his wife. The “angry wind” is despicable (McBride). Maud did not use her gifts properly, though she had the courtesy, grace, ceremony, and aristocracy.
Complete Summary of Stanza 7 & 8
Third wish: by way of contrast, the poet’s mind turns back to his own harsh experience. He has cultivated minds and sought out a kind of beauty that brought him only to hate, the greatest of misfortunes. Whoever keeps no hatred within the heart, he/she will never be disturbed by outside storms (v.VII). Yeats recalls particularly the love of his life, without mentioning her name, who by spurning others opinions and receiving hatred pushing herself and her opinions on everyone around, trashed her splendid gifts (v.VIII)
Stanza 9
The soul recovers radical innocence
And learns at last that it is self-delighting,
Self-appeasing, self-affrighting,
When all hatred has been driven away from the spirit and the soul, the soul becomes pure and acquires an almost divine innocence, and she becomes aware of the power of the spirit over life. Her pure spirit will control and determine the quality of her life.
She can, though every face should scowl
And every windy quarter howl
Or every bell burst, be happy still.
Here, Yeats personified “Heaven” which symbolizes God. He is expecting his daughter to submit her wills and fate completely in the hands of God. When this happens, his daughter will be happy, in spite of all life’s problems and tribulations.
Stanza 10
Where all’s accustomed, ceremonious;
For arrogance and hatred are the wares
Peddled in the thoroughfares.
Yeats is preoccupied with Irish folklore and tradition. His writings usually treat Irish legends. His almost all writings also reflect his fascination with mysticism and spiritualism. Finally, Yeats hopes that his daughter’s husband comes from a background where traditional beliefs and ideas are very much a part of life and that culture and tradition are infused into his daughter. He believes that adhering to one’s roots and values gives one a sense of identity and those without his background and culture are the men of arrogance and hatred. But with the cultural practice, all hatred and arrogance can be paddled away.
Are innocence and beauty born?
In this last part of the poem, the speaker throws a rhetorical question which answers he is known to. He asks the readers “without tradition and ritual, is it possible to grow beauty and innocence?” we all must answer it negatively like somebody may ask you, “can you take a bath without water?” and you must reply “No.” so he wishes his daughter to live with custom and ceremony and thus beauty and innocence.
And custom for the spreading laurel tree
Then, to emphasize more in these two, he recalls the mythology he used before in this poem, “rich horn” in line 32 and “laurel tree” in line 47. He makes a rich horn with ceremony and a holy pure laurel with the custom that can spread peace and security to her in all lifelong like the laurel tree is green all lifelong.
Complete summary of Stanza 9 & 10
Conclusion: let his daughter drive out hate, and she will discover that all joy, peace and fear arise only from inside of herself, and Heaven will be with her. Then, whatever, all men disturb, storms roar or all anger bursts upon her, but still, she will be happy (v.IX). And when she marries, he wishes her to keep all pride and anger out of her home, and foster there what “custom” and “ceremony”.