Because there is safety in derision
I talked about an apparition,
I took no trouble to convince,
Or seem plausible to a man of sense.
Distrustful of thar popular eye
Whether it be bold or sly.
Fifteen apparitions have I seen;
The worst a coat upon a coat-hanger.
I have found nothing half so good
As my long-planned half solitude,
Where I can sit up half the night
With some friend that has the wit
Not to allow his looks to tell
When I am unintelligible.
Fifteen apparitions have I seen;
The worst a coat upon a coat-hanger.
When a man grows old his joy
Grows more deep day after day,
His empty heart is full at length,
But he has need of all that strength
Because of the increasing Night
That opens her mystery and fright.
Fifteen apparitions have I seen;
The worst a coat upon a coat-hanger.
(William Butler Yeats)
More Poetry from William Butler Yeats:
William Butler Yeats Poems based on Topics: Man, Night, Friendship, Sense & Perception, Solitude, Wit- A Man Young And Old (William Butler Yeats Poems)
- A Lover's Quarrel Among the Fairies (William Butler Yeats Poems)
- A Deep-Sworn Vow (William Butler Yeats Poems)
- The Two Trees (William Butler Yeats Poems)
- Old Memory (William Butler Yeats Poems)
- The Ghost Of Roger Casement (William Butler Yeats Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Man Poems, Night Poems, Sense & Perception Poems, Friendship Poems, Wit Poems, Solitude PoemsBased on Keywords: popular, plausible, thar, apparitions, unintelligible, distrustful, long-planned