The poem
She lived in storm and strife, Her soul had such desire For what proud death may bring That it could not endure The common good of life, But lived as 'twere a king That packed his marriage day With banneret and pennon, Trumpet and kettledrum, And the outrageous cannon, To bundle time away That the night come.
this poem is about a woman who finds her life worthless and with no meaning and the king section represents the light of day which just passes the time until the darkness of the night comes causing her to close her eyes and commet suicide or die.
Author
This poem is by William Butler Yeats, written about Maud Gonne, an Irish nationalist with whom he was madly in love.