The Lover Tells of the Rose in His Heart (Poem by William Butler Yeats)

The Lover Tells of the Rose in His Heart

By William Butler Yeats

All things uncomely and broken, all things worn out and old,
The cry of a child by the roadway, the creak of a lumbering cart,
The heavy steps of the ploughman, splashing the wintry mould,
Are wronging your image that blossoms a rose in the deeps of my heart.

The wrong of unshapely things is a wrong too great to be told;
I hunger to build them anew and sit on a green knoll apart,
With the earth and the sky and the water, re-made, like a casket of gold
For my dreams of your image that blossoms a rose in the deeps of my heart.

Poem Analysis:

William Butler Yeats, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, often explored themes of love, longing, and the transcendence of the ordinary through his poetry. "The Lover Tells of the Rose in His Heart" is a profound and evocative poem that delves into the idea of finding beauty in imperfection. In this analysis, we will dissect the poem's themes, structure, and literary devices to uncover its deeper meaning.

Themes:

1. Beauty in Imperfection: The central theme of the poem is the notion that beauty can be found in things that are considered imperfect or unattractive. The speaker laments the world's "uncomely and broken" elements but insists that they wrong the image of his beloved, which is symbolized by a rose in his heart.
2. Longing and Idealization: The poem conveys a deep sense of longing and idealization. The speaker yearns to reshape and renew the imperfect world around him to better reflect the perfection he sees in his beloved's image.
3. Artistic Creation: There is an underlying theme of artistic creation. The speaker desires to "build" and recreate the world to align with the idealized image of his beloved. This reflects the artist's impulse to transform reality through their creative vision.

Structure:

The poem consists of two quatrains with a rhyming scheme of ABAB. This structured format allows Yeats to present his ideas with clarity and precision while maintaining a musical and rhythmic quality. The brevity of the poem adds to its impact, emphasizing the intensity of the speaker's emotions.

Analysis:

1. "All things uncomely and broken, all things worn out and old": The poem begins with a catalog of the imperfect and worn elements of the world. These descriptions create a stark contrast with the image of the beloved that the speaker holds in his heart.
2. "The wrong of unshapely things is a wrong too great to be told": This line underscores the profound nature of the imperfections in the world. The speaker believes that the beauty of his beloved's image is marred by these imperfections, emphasizing the depth of his idealization.
3. "I hunger to build them anew": This line reveals the speaker's desire to recreate and reshape the imperfect world. This act of creative reconstruction mirrors the artist's impulse to transform reality into art.
4. "For my dreams of your image that blossoms a rose in the deeps of my heart": The poem concludes with a vivid image of the beloved's image as a rose blooming in the depths of the speaker's heart. This metaphor encapsulates the essence of the poem, suggesting that the beauty of love transcends the flaws and imperfections of the world.

"The Lover Tells of the Rose in His Heart" by W.B. Yeats is a poignant exploration of the human capacity to find beauty in imperfection and to idealize the object of one's affection. Through vivid imagery and a structured format, Yeats conveys the depth of the speaker's longing and the transformative power of love and art. The poem reminds us that even in a world filled with broken and uncomely things, the beauty of love can bloom like a rose in the depths of the heart, offering solace and redemption.