"Love and the Bird"
A Poem by W.B. Yeats
About the Author
William Butler Yeats, also known as W.B. Yeats, was born in Dublin, Ireland on June 13, 1865. Even though W.B. spent much of his time around his father’s art studio and even went to school to study painting, he quickly discovered a love for poetry and began writing instead. W.B. involved himself in the Celtic Revival, a movement which opposed the cultural influences of the English and encouraged people to remember and embrace Ireland’s native heritage. W.B.’s writings; such as: “The Ballad of Moll Magee,” “Down By The Salley Gardens,” and “The Wanderings of Osian,” revolve around the Irish folklore and mythology he heard and loved during his childhood. In addition to poetry, W.B. joined the Irish Literary Theatre in 1899, where he wrote several plays. Following his success as a playwright and poet, W.B, was able to land several lecture tours in the United States, as well as create a print shop called Cuala Press. In 1922, W.B. was awarded an Honorary Degree from Trinity College in Dublin and elected to the Irish Senate. W.B. also garnered the 1923 Nobel Prize for Literature while working on his essays, poetry, and poetry anthology for Oxford Book of Modern Verse 1892-1935. Six years before he died, W.B. began making broadcasts for BBC, doing so until his death on January 28,1939. EDH
Relation to "Relationships"
This poem by W.B. Yeats fits into the Friendship and Relationships chapter as it shows the struggle each individual has with finding and feeling love. Part of becoming an adult is finding out what healthy love is, and “Love and the Bird” serves as a perfect example to show how unguarded love for another person can lead to hurt feelings. EDH
"Love and the Bird"
The moments passed as at a play,
I had the wisdom love can bring,
I had my share of mother wit;
And yet for all that I could say,
And though I had her praise for it,
And she seemed happy as a king,
Love’s moon was withering away.
Believing every word I said
I praised her body and her mind,
Till pride had made her eyes grow bright,
And pleasure made her cheeks grow red,
And vanity her footfall light;
Yet we, for all that praise, could find
Nothing but darkness overhead.
I sat as silent as a stone
And knew, though she’d not said a word,
That even the best of love must die,
And had been savagely undone
Were it not that love, upon the cry
Of a most ridiculous little bird,
Threw up in the air his marvellous moon. EDH
I had the wisdom love can bring,
I had my share of mother wit;
And yet for all that I could say,
And though I had her praise for it,
And she seemed happy as a king,
Love’s moon was withering away.
Believing every word I said
I praised her body and her mind,
Till pride had made her eyes grow bright,
And pleasure made her cheeks grow red,
And vanity her footfall light;
Yet we, for all that praise, could find
Nothing but darkness overhead.
I sat as silent as a stone
And knew, though she’d not said a word,
That even the best of love must die,
And had been savagely undone
Were it not that love, upon the cry
Of a most ridiculous little bird,
Threw up in the air his marvellous moon. EDH
Discussion Questions and Activities
1. Talk about the “mother wit” which Yeats refers to in the poem. What insight and perspective do moms have which other people in society do not?
2. Discuss Yeats’s meaning for saying “That even the best of love must die.”
3. What are the keys to a healthy relationship? Are there issues which arise from not having all these key components together?
4. Is it good to like yourself? If so, is there a point at which it becomes an issue? EDH
2. Discuss Yeats’s meaning for saying “That even the best of love must die.”
3. What are the keys to a healthy relationship? Are there issues which arise from not having all these key components together?
4. Is it good to like yourself? If so, is there a point at which it becomes an issue? EDH
Essay and Response Questions
1. What is the significance of Yeats choosing a bird to be the symbol for the narrator’s love of the woman described throughout the poem? Use the bird's characteristics and actions to explain its significance and symbolic connection to the narrator’s love. Also look at how writers use
animals to symbolize certain points they are trying to make; is a bird the best animal to explain the narrator’s love?
2. Does the author truly love the woman in the poem? Use quotes from the poem to explain your answer.
3. What is the message the narrator is trying to get across to the reader with “Believing every word I said” then moving on to praise the woman? And how does the ending of the stanza further point to the narrator’s message?
4. Is there a biographical connection between Yeats’ love life and what occurs between the narrator and the woman? Research his life and write a comparison on the two situations. EDH
animals to symbolize certain points they are trying to make; is a bird the best animal to explain the narrator’s love?
2. Does the author truly love the woman in the poem? Use quotes from the poem to explain your answer.
3. What is the message the narrator is trying to get across to the reader with “Believing every word I said” then moving on to praise the woman? And how does the ending of the stanza further point to the narrator’s message?
4. Is there a biographical connection between Yeats’ love life and what occurs between the narrator and the woman? Research his life and write a comparison on the two situations. EDH
Formatting by: RLS