Young Man's Song

Portrait of William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats 1865–1939

'She will change,' I cried. 'Into a withered crone.' The heart in my side, That so still had lain, In noble rage replied And beat upon the bone:

'Uplift those eyes and throw Those glances unafraid: She would as bravely show Did all the fabric fade; No withered crone I saw Before the world was made.'

Abashed by that report, For the heart cannot lie, I knelt in the dirt. And all shall bend the knee To my offended heart Until it pardon me.

Keep reading

Discover more of William Butler Yeats’s poetry.

Explore all poems

Readers

Reader discussion

Your turn

Shown with your comment.

Never published. Only so we can reach you.

Comments are read before they appear. See our terms.