Adam's Curse
Poetry
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William Butler Yeats
Adam's Curse Full Poem
We sat together at one summer’s end,
That beautiful mild woman, your close friend,
And you and I, and talked of poetry.
I said, ‘A line will take us hours maybe;
Yet if it does not seem a moment’s thought,
Our stitching and unstitching has been naught.
Better go down upon your marrow-bones
And scrub a kitchen pavement, or break stones
Like an old pauper, in all kinds of weather;
For to articul...
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Adam's Curse Key Facts
Key Facts
Writer: William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939)
Original Title: Adam's Curse
Source: Collected in In the Seven Woods
Written Time: Early 1900s
Published Date: 1902
Form: Lyric poem
Genre: Poetry, Philosophical/Reflective
Tone: Reflective, Nostalgic, Weary
Point of View: First-person narrative
Total Lines: 45 lines
Total Part: 4 main sections (based on shifts in theme an...
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Adam's Curse Theme
Themes:
Hard Work in Art: Writing poetry is not easy. It takes a lot of effort and time. People think poets are lazy, but it is hard work to make words sound beautiful.
Hard Work in Beauty: Women have to work hard to look beautiful. It is something society expects from them. Beauty is not natural; it takes effort.
Love and Disappointment: Love used to be very special and polite. But now, it...
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Adam's Curse Character
Characters:
The Speaker: A poet who talks about how hard it is to write poetry and maintain love. He feels tired and sad about love.
The Friend: A close friend of the speaker who listens but does not speak. They share a deep bond with the speaker.
The Beautiful Woman: A gentle woman who believes women must work hard to stay beautiful. She represents beauty and effort.
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Adam's Curse Literary Device
Figures of Speech:
Metaphor: Writing poetry is compared to hard physical work, like scrubbing floors or breaking stones. This shows how difficult writing can be.
Simile: The moon is compared to a worn-out shell using the word "as if." This shows how tired and old the moon looks.
Personification: The moon is described as being "worn," like a person who is tired. This gives the moon human fee...
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Adam's Curse Summary
Background
Adam’s Curse was written by William Butler Yeats in 1902. The poem reflects Yeats' thoughts on the hard work behind creating beautiful things like poetry, love, and beauty. Yeats was influenced by his feelings for Maud Gonne, a woman he loved but who didn’t return his love. The title refers to the curse on Adam after he left Eden, symbolizing how hard life became for humans.
Summary
Pa...
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