Analyze the meaning of ceremony s a name for the rich horn And custom for the spreading laurel tree in the context of the poem W B Yeats s A Prayer for My Daughter is a beautiful poem about a father s wishes for his little girl The poet looks at the storm outside and thinks about the troubles in life He hopes his daughter will grow up to be happy and live a peaceful life In the last stanza he talks about the importance of ceremony and custom for a good life The line Ceremony s a name for the rich horn And custom for the spreading laurel tree uses simple but deep images The rich horn is the Cornucopia a symbol of plenty and good fortune Here ceremony means following traditions and showing respect to others Yeats believes traditions bring beauty and peace to life The spreading laurel