Chosen (Poem by William Butler Yeats)

Chosen

By William Butler Yeats

The lot of love is chosen. I learnt that much

Struggling for an image on the track

Of the whirling Zodiac.

Scarce did he my body touch,

Scarce sank he from the west

Or found a subtetranean rest

On the maternal midnight of my breast

Before I had marked him on his northern way,

And seemed to stand although in bed I lay.

I struggled with the horror of daybreak,

I chose it for my lot! If questioned on

My utmost pleasure with a man

By some new-married bride, I take

That stillness for a theme

Where his heart my heart did seem

And both adrift on the miraculous stream

Where — wrote a learned astrologer —

The Zodiac is changed into a sphere.

Poem Analysis:

William Butler Yeats’ poem Chosen is a deeply personal and mystical meditation on love, fate, and the transcendent nature of human experience. The poem weaves together themes of predestined love, cosmic influence, and the struggle between passion and detachment. Through celestial imagery and philosophical introspection, Yeats explores the idea that love is not merely an emotion but a predetermined force—one that is both exhilarating and burdensome.

The Idea of Love as Fate

The poem begins with a striking assertion:

The lot of love is chosen. I learnt that much

Here, Yeats establishes that love is not an accident or a matter of free will—it is a predetermined destiny, a “lot” that one must accept. The phrase "I learnt that much" suggests that this realization came through personal struggle and experience.

The next lines introduce the image of the "whirling Zodiac," a reference to the celestial sphere that governs fate in astrological traditions:

Struggling for an image on the track

Of the whirling Zodiac.

The use of "struggling" implies that understanding or capturing love’s true essence is difficult. The Zodiac, which represents the movement of the stars and planets, serves as a metaphor for destiny—just as the stars follow their predetermined orbits, so too does love follow a fated path.

Celestial Love and Transcendence

Yeats continues the celestial imagery with a portrayal of an intimate yet fleeting connection:

Scarce did he my body touch,

Scarce sank he from the west

Or found a subterranean rest

On the maternal midnight of my breast

These lines describe an encounter that is both physical and cosmic. The figure of “he” (presumably a lover) barely touches the speaker before continuing his celestial journey. The phrase “sank he from the west” evokes the image of the setting sun or a star disappearing beyond the horizon, reinforcing the idea of transience.

The phrase maternal midnight of my breast suggests a nurturing, almost divine stillness—the speaker becomes one with the cosmic order, holding the departing lover like the night sky embraces the stars.

Yet, rather than experiencing a sense of completion, the speaker immediately anticipates his return:

Before I had marked him on his northern way,

And seemed to stand although in bed I lay.

Here, love is portrayed as cyclical, much like the movements of celestial bodies. The lover departs only to rise again, mirroring the eternal recurrence of the stars. Even in rest, the speaker remains spiritually and mentally awake, attuned to this cosmic rhythm.

Love as Both Ecstasy and Struggle

The second stanza introduces a tension between love’s wonder and its burden:

I struggled with the horror of daybreak,

I chose it for my lot!

Daybreak, often symbolic of revelation or renewal, is here described as a "horror." This suggests that love, while beautiful, also comes with an unavoidable pain—the separation that morning brings after a night of closeness. The phrase “I chose it for my lot” reinforces the poem’s central idea that love is a fate one must accept, even when it is difficult.

Yeats then shifts to a reflective moment, imagining himself offering wisdom to a newlywed bride:

If questioned on

My utmost pleasure with a man

By some new-married bride, I take

That stillness for a theme

Instead of speaking about passion or desire, Yeats would describe “that stillness” as the highest form of love. This “stillness” refers to the quiet, transcendent union where two hearts become one—beyond physical touch, beyond time, floating together in something akin to a mystical experience.

The Cosmic and Mystical Dimension of Love

The closing lines elevate love to an almost divine level:

Where his heart my heart did seem

And both adrift on the miraculous stream

Where — wrote a learned astrologer —

The Zodiac is changed into a sphere.

Yeats describes an ethereal moment where he and his lover’s hearts merge, floating on a "miraculous stream"—perhaps symbolizing the river of time, destiny, or even the unconscious flow of the universe itself.

The final reference to the astrologer suggests that love has the power to transform one’s perception of fate. The Zodiac, which normally dictates a fixed destiny, is no longer confined to a rigid structure but becomes a “sphere”—a whole, infinite realm where love transcends mere fate and becomes something boundless and eternal.

Love as a Mystical Destiny

In Chosen, Yeats presents love as both a blessing and a burden—an inevitable force that connects lovers to something greater than themselves. Through celestial and mystical imagery, he suggests that love is not merely a personal experience but a cosmic one, dictated by the stars and woven into the fabric of existence.

Yet, rather than resisting this destiny, Yeats embraces it. Even in struggle, even in moments of loss or separation, love remains a profound and transformative force—one that elevates the soul beyond the limitations of the physical world.

Ultimately, Chosen reflects Yeats’ characteristic blend of romanticism, mysticism, and philosophical inquiry, offering a vision of love that is at once deeply personal and universally transcendent.