beautiful overmuch.”
Yeats believes that too much beauty can bring problems. Sometimes, very beautiful women become too proud or selfish. They may think beauty is everything. They forget to be kind or wise. So, they may not find real love or true friendship. So, he hopes his daughter will grow with simple, gentle beauty. He wants her to be the kind of person who wins love through kindness.
Kindness and Wisdom: Yeats hopes his daughter will be kind and wise. He says that real love and respect must be earned through good character. Even people who are not very beautiful can attract love with their kindness and honesty. Yeats also mentions Helen of Troy from Greek mythology. She was the most beautiful woman. However, her beauty caused the Trojan War. She was a queen, and yet she eloped with a foolish prince. As Yeats writes:
“Helen being chosen found life flat and dull
And later had much trouble from a fool.”
Through her story, Yeats warns that beauty without wisdom brings problems. He does not want his daughter to suffer like Helen.
Calm and Peaceful: The poet hopes his daughter does not chase after unnecessary things. He wants her to be calm and peaceful. She may grow like a strong, hidden tree. A tree that would flourish quietly in one place. Her thoughts should be like a happy linnet bird, always singing sweetly and spreading joy. He writes:
“That all her thoughts may like the linnet be.”
Free from Hatred and Pride: Yeats now prays that his daughter will never have hatred in her heart. He says that hate is the worst enemy of the human soul. Even strong winds cannot harm a tree that has no hatred. He also warns her against “intellectual hatred.”
“An intellectual hatred is the worst.”
It is a kind of hate that comes from pride and the thought that one’s opinions are always right. Yeats mentions Maud Gonne, a woman she loved, who lost all her happiness and blessings because she was full of hatred and anger. He prays that his daughter stays free from hate. If she avoids hatred, her soul will remain innocent and full of joy.
Love and Tradition: Finally, Yeats prays for his daughter to have a loving married life. He hopes her husband will take her to a good home after marriage, where traditions and customs are followed. He believes that innocence and beauty are born from proper manners and ceremonies. He wants her future home to be full of joy, music, and blessings.
In fine, Yeats wishes for the finest virtues for his newborn child. He prays she will grow with gentle beauty, kindness, wisdom, good manners, and be free from hatred and pride. Through these virtues, Yeats hopes she will be safe from the storms of life.
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