her to be unwavering and stable in her principles and values Again he wants her to have a peaceful tender and compassionate heart It is evident in his tongue May she be granted beauty and yet not Beauty to make stranger's eye distraught Grace Yeats hopes for his daughter to move through life with grace and ease He desires that she will handle whatever comes her way with poise and dignity Intelligence Yeats desires his daughter to be intelligent and thoughtful to be able to discern truth from falsehood and to make wise decisions Moral courage Yeats believes that his daughter will encounter ethical dilemmas in life He wants her to have the courage to do what is right even when it is difficult Self-awareness Yeats wants his daughter to be self-aware to know herself deeply and to be able to understand her motivations and emotions Compassion Yeats values compassion and empathy He hopes that his daughter will be able to see the world through the eyes of others and offer kindness and support to those in need Strength and Resilience Yeats identifies that life can be challenging at times He prays that his daughter may have the power and resilience to face life's challenges and overcome them with grace and dignity He says In courtesy I'd have her chiefly learned Hearts are not had as a gift but hearts are earned By those that are not entirely beautiful Humility Yeats values humility and he hopes that his daughter will be able to acknowledge her limitations and mistakes and learn from them Gratitude Yeats wants his daughter to be grateful for the blessings in her life to appreciate the beauty of the world around her and to find joy in small things Yeats' acknowledgement In the poem Yeats acknowledges that he cannot control his daughter's destiny but he prays that she will be able to cultivate these virtues and find happiness and fulfilment in life He also recognizes that his own beliefs and biases may not be what is best for his daughter and he hopes that she will be able to find her path and make her own choices A Prayer for My Daughter is a poignant and heartfelt expression of a father's hopes and dreams for his child Yeats expects his daughter to have a rich and meaningful life full of beauty grace intelligence and moral courage He hopes that she will be able to navigate the challenges of the world with compassion perseverance humility and gratitude