He'll hear no more the lowing Of the calves on the warm hillside
This shows what the child will lose by leaving the human world.
11 Matching Annotations
- Mar 2026
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poets.org poets.org
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Or the kettle on the hob Sing peace into his breast,
This image represents the comfort of home, suggesting that the human world also has warmth and safety.
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Away with us he's going, The solemn-eyed:
This line shows that the child has decided to leave with the fairies, which makes the tone of the poem more serious.
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We seek for slumbering trout And whispering in their ears Give them unquiet dreams;
This shows the fairies interacting with nature and having magical powers.
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While the world is full of troubles And anxious in its sleep.
This line contrasts the carefree fairy world with the stressful human world.
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We foot it all the night, Weaving olden dances Mingling hands and mingling glances
The description of dancing makes the fairy world seem joyful and magical.
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For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.
This line suggests that the human world is full of sadness and suffering, which is why the fairies believe the child should escape with them.
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Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild
This line repeats throughout the poem as a refrain. It sounds like the fairies are trying to persuade the child to leave the human world.
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There lies a leafy island Where flapping herons wake The drowsy water rats;
I find it interesting how the poet describes animals waking up. It makes the natural setting feel alive and peaceful.
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Where dips the rocky highland Of Sleuth Wood in the lake,
Yeats starts the poem with vivid nature imagery. This helps create a mysterious and magical setting that introduces the fairy world.
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- Feb 2026
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www.telelib.com www.telelib.com
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Blind love that comes by night and casts out rest
Calling love “blind” makes it feel intense but also limited. It makes me wonder if the poem is suggesting that traditional ideas of love can’t really understand someone like Hermaphroditus.
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