The Stolen Child
Poetry
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William Butler Yeats
The Stolen Child Full Poem
Where dips the rocky highland
Of Sleuth Wood in the lake,
There lies a leafy island
Where flapping herons wake
The drowsy water rats;
There we've hid our faery vats,
Full of berrys
And of reddest stolen cherries.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.
Where the wave of moonlight glosses
The dim...
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The Stolen Child Themes
Themes
Reality vs. Fantasy: The main theme of this poem is the conflict between the painful reality of human life and the enchanting world of the fairies. Through the voices of the fairies, Yeats presents a realm where there is no sorrow or suffering — only joy, beauty, and eternal peace. The fairies call out to the child, saying, “Come away, O human child! / To the waters and the wild...” They...
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The Stolen Child Key Facts
Key Facts
Poet: William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
Original Title: The Stolen Child
Written Time: 1886 (early period of Yeats’s writing career)
First Published: 1886, in The Irish Monthly. Later included in The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems (1889)
Form: Ballad-style Lyric Poem
Genre: Romantic, Mythical, and Symbolic Poetry
Tone: Dreamlike, Melancholic, Enchanting, and Mournful...
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The Stolen Child Summary
Summary
Stanza 1 – The Magical Island of Sleuth Wood: In the first stanza, Yeats describes a beautiful, dreamlike place in Ireland—Sleuth Wood. There lies a leafy island, where the herons fly and awaken the sleepy water-rats floating on the lake. The fairies have hidden their faery vats there, filled with fruits, berries, and “reddest stolen cherries.” This scene paints a picture of a fairy-tale...
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The Stolen Child Literary Devices
W.B. Yeats utilizes several literary devices in "The Stolen Child" to create a rich and captivating poem. Some of the notable literary devices used in the poem include:
Imagery: Yeats uses vivid and evocative imagery to describe the natural world and the faeries' realm. The images of clear waters, moonlight, and dancing faeries help create a fantastical and enchanting atmosphere.
Repetition: The p...
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The Stolen Child Quotes
Quotes
“Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild,
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.”
Explanation: This refrain expresses the fairies’ invitation to the child to leave the human world and enter their magical realm. It also reveals Yeats’s idea that human life is full of sorrow, pain, and confusion, while the fairyland offers an esc...
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Notes
Explore 1 detailed note related to The Stolen Child. Each note provides in-depth analysis, explanations, and critical insights.