A Prayer on Going into my House
The work is a supplication to preserve the sanctity and integrity of one’s personal dwelling against the corrupting influence of modernity and artificial embellishment. It implores divine favor over a modest home—a tower and cottage—ensuring that its simplicity remains untainted, even as it becomes a vessel for the rich, impassioned experiences of history. The speaker contrasts the unadorned, natural state of domestic life with extravagant, foreign, or imposed luxuries. He envisions that even ordinary objects, if imbued with the fervor and aesthetic of past greatness, may become extraordinary, while any aberration—be it a misplaced, government-planned structure or the destruction of a natural element like an ash tree—could disrupt this sublime equilibrium. The text meditates on the tension between the timeless, mythic past and the transient, often artificial present. It raises the idea that the everyday can be sanctified when connected to heroic, cultural legacies. In this vision, elements as simple as a table, chair, or stool are not merely mundane; they embody the memory and spirit of those who have lived passionately before. The invocation suggests that the home must be a refuge where the purity of tradition and the immediacy of spiritual experience coexist—a place where one is granted the freedom to both withdraw from and participate in the sweeping narrative of human endeavor. Themes of preservation, both material and spiritual, are central. The poem asserts that true wealth lies not in ostentation or modern convenience but in the ability to remain open to the profound, historical, and artistic influences accumulated over centuries. It articulates an ethos that cherishes an unspoiled connection to the past while resisting the degradation of the present by forces that would impose superficial change.
By W.B. Yeats · First published 1937 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Spiritual/Religious Poetry, Symbolist Poetry · 187 words
First lines
God grant a blessing on this tower and cottage And on my heirs, if all remain unspoiled, No table, or chair or stool not simple enough For shepherd lads in Galilee; and grant That I myself for portions of the year May handle nothing and set eyes on nothing But what the great and passionate have used Throughout so many varying centuries.
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A Prayer on Going into my House is listed on Textopian as a poem by W.B. Yeats, dated 1937 CE.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: W.B. Yeats
- Date: 1937 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Spiritual/Religious Poetry, Symbolist Poetry, Modernist Poetry
- Length: 187 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Confusing
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a personal, meditative prayer that conveys introspection and emotion through poetic language.
- Spiritual/Religious Poetry — The poem invokes divine blessing and explores themes of transcendence and sanctity.
- Symbolist Poetry — The text employs rich imagery and metaphor to suggest deeper philosophical and mystical meanings.
- Modernist Poetry — Its departure from traditional narrative structures and focus on individual perception reflect modernist tendencies.
Tags
spiritual · mysticism · introspection · meditation · vision · symbolism · ritual · transcendence · inner journey · sacred space · domesticity · sensuality