Make their faint thunder, and the garden bees
Hum in the lime-tree flowers; and put away
The unavailing outcries and the old bitterness
That empty the heart. I have forgot awhile
Tara uprooted, and new commonness
Upon the throne and crying about the streets
And hanging its paper flowers from post to post,
Because it is alone of all things happy.
I am contented, for I know that Quiet
Wanders laughing and eating her wild heart
Among pigeons and bees, while that Great Archer,
Who but awaits His hour to shoot, still hangs
A cloudy quiver over Pairc-na-lee.
Poem Analysis:
W. B. Yeats’s “In the Seven Woods” presents a moment of withdrawal from political anger into the peace of nature. The poem reflects Yeats’s response to the political and social changes taking place in Ireland, while also exploring the poet’s desire for inner peace. Through natural imagery, historical references, and symbolic language, Yeats contrasts the quiet permanence of nature with the unrest and instability of human society.
The poem begins with the peaceful sounds of the Seven Woods: “the pigeons” make a “faint thunder,” while “the garden bees” hum among the lime-tree flowers. These gentle natural sounds create an atmosphere of calm and harmony. Against this background, the speaker decides to put aside “the unavailing outcries and the old bitterness / That empty the heart.” The phrase suggests that political anger and repeated complaints have become emotionally destructive and ultimately ineffective. Nature offers the speaker a temporary escape from these frustrations.
Yeats then turns to Irish history and politics. “Tara” refers to the ancient Hill of Tara, traditionally associated with the kings of Ireland. The phrase “Tara uprooted” symbolizes the loss of Ireland’s traditional identity and historical glory. In contrast, the “new commonness / Upon the throne” suggests the speaker’s dissatisfaction with modern political life. The “paper flowers” hanging from post to post evoke public celebration, but Yeats presents this happiness ironically. The new political order appears superficial and artificial rather than genuinely joyful.
The second stanza develops the contrast between peace and danger. The personification of “Quiet” as a figure who “Wanders laughing and eating her wild heart” gives silence and solitude an almost living presence. The speaker finds comfort in this natural world, where pigeons and bees exist beyond human political conflict. However, this peace is not permanent. The image of the “Great Archer” creates a sense of hidden danger and approaching change. The Archer can be understood as a symbol of fate or an unseen historical force waiting for the right moment to act. His “cloudy quiver” hanging over Pairc-na-lee suggests that beneath the apparent tranquility, uncertainty and conflict remain.
The poem therefore combines nature, politics, history, and personal emotion. Yeats does not completely reject Ireland’s political struggles, but he temporarily turns away from them in search of spiritual and emotional renewal. The Seven Woods become a symbolic refuge where he can recover from bitterness. Yet the final image reminds us that no peace is entirely secure. Political and historical forces continue to wait beyond the peaceful landscape.
“In the Seven Woods” expresses Yeats’s movement from political frustration toward temporary tranquility. The natural world represents peace and renewal, while Tara, the throne, the paper flowers, and the Great Archer symbolize Ireland’s troubled history and uncertain future. The poem’s central message is that solitude and nature can provide relief from political bitterness, but human beings cannot permanently escape the forces of history.