A Prayer for My Daughter Characters

The speaker of the poem is the poet W. B. Yeats himself, acting as a loving and thoughtful father. He prays for his newborn daughter's future, expressing deep concern about the violence, pride, and foolishness of the modern world. Through his prayer, he wishes his daughter to grow up kind, wise, and peaceful, and not overly beautiful.

The daughter in the poem is the poet's real child, Anne Yeats, who was born just two days before Yeats wrote this poem. She serves as the central subject of the poet's prayers and reflections, symbolising innocence and the hope for a better future. Her presence inspires the speaker's meditations on the ideal qualities a woman should possess in a troubled world.