Another Song Of A Fool

William Butler Yeats 1865 (Sandymount) – 1939 (Menton)



This great purple butterfly,
In the prison of my hands,
Has a learning in his eye
Not a poor fool understands.

Once he lived a schoolmaster
With a stark, denying look;
A string of scholars went in fear
Of his great birch and his great book.

Like the clangour of a bell,
Sweet and harsh, harsh and sweet.
That is how he learnt so well
To take the roses for his meat.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

22 sec read
481

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB XCXC DEDE
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 362
Words 74
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4

William Butler Yeats

William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. more…

All William Butler Yeats poems | William Butler Yeats Books

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