Portrait of William Butler Yeats

William Butler Yeats

Irish poet

Modern influential 80 sayings

Sayings by William Butler Yeats

I believe in all dreams, and in all visions, and in all prophecies.

1892 — Letter to John O'Leary, 1892
Inspirational Unverifiable

The world is a spiritual battleground.

1926 — Autobiographies, 'Reveries Over Childhood and Youth'
War & Conflict Unverifiable

I have always been a seeker after hidden knowledge.

1901 — Essay, 'Magic'
Educational Unverifiable

The soul is a mirror of the universe.

1917 — Essay, 'Anima Mundi'
Biblical Unverifiable

I have been touched by the hand of God, or of some other power.

1917 — Letter to Olivia Shakespear, 1917
Power & Leadership Unverifiable

My life has been a continual struggle with the supernatural.

1922 — Autobiographies, 'The Trembling of the Veil'
Wisdom Unverifiable

I have seen the future, and it is terrible.

1913 — Reported by Lady Gregory in 'Our Irish Theatre'
Wisdom Unverifiable

I am a creature of instinct and intuition.

1926 — Autobiographies, 'Reveries Over Childhood and Youth'
Art & Creativity Unverifiable

The world is a dream, and we are the dreamers.

1901 — Essay, 'Magic'
Inspirational Unverifiable

I have always been drawn to the darkness.

1892 — Letter to John O'Leary, 1892
Life & Death Unverifiable

Out of Ireland have we come, great hatred, little room, maimed us at the start. I carry from my mother's womb a fanatic heart.

1931 — Poem 'Remorse for Intemperate Speech'
General Unverifiable

Republics, Kingdoms, Soviets, Corporate States, Parliaments, are trash. [...] These men, whether six or six thousand, are the core of Ireland, are Ireland itself.

1939 — Essay 'On the Boiler'
Political Unverifiable

In a battle like Ireland's, which is one of poverty against wealth, we must prove our sincerity by making ourselves unpopular to wealth. We must accept the baptism of the gutter.

c. 1900s-1920s — Speech or essay on Irish nationalism
Social & Racial Unverifiable

No art can conquer the people alone-the people are conquered by an ideal of life upheld by authority.

1923 — Speech at Seanad Éireann on the Censorship of Films Bill
General Unverifiable

How can the arts overcome the slow dying of men's hearts that we call progress?

Undated, c. early 20th century — Essay or speech
General Unverifiable

The mystical life is at the centre of all that I do and all that I think and all that I write.

1892 — Letter to John O'Leary
General Unverifiable

My own position is that an idealism or spiritualism which denies magic, and evil spirits even, and sneers at magicians and even mediums (the few honest ones) is an academical imposture.

1893 — Letter to Lionel Johnson
General Unverifiable

Your Church has in this matter been far more thorough than the Protestant. It has never denied Ars Magica, though it has denounced it'.

1893 — Letter to Lionel Johnson
Religious Unverifiable

To me all things are made of the conflict of two states of consciousness, beings or persons which die each other's life live each other's death.

1918 — Letter to Ethel Mannin
General Unverifiable

Christ was still the half-brother of Dionysius.

1900 — Essay 'The Philosophy of Shelley's Poetry'
General Unverifiable
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