Peace by W.B. Yeats (1939)
The work meditates on time’s power to transform raw, tumultuous experiences into a refined, heroic ideal. It contrasts the fierce, storm-like nature of life with the eventual emergence of a stately, balanced form—a form imbued with both the stern strength and the graceful charm of ancient heroes. The text alludes to the classical era of epic narratives, suggesting that the heroic qualities celebrated in bygone ages have shaped a noble standard. Yet, it implies that if life were solely defined by chaos, art would capture only a singular, forceful depiction of strength. Instead, time tempers that initial intensity, softening and perfecting it until a more complete and enduring peace is achieved. Ultimately, the work explores the dynamic interplay between the ferocity of life’s storms and the serene order that follows, indicating that true beauty and heroism emerge only after the relentless passage of time refines and completes the transient raw material of human existence.
By W.B. Yeats · First published 1939 · Genre: Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Modernist Poetry · 117 words
First lines
Ah, that Time could touch a form / That could show what Homer's age / Bred to be a hero's wage. / "Were not all her life but storm, / Would not painters paint a form / Of such noble lines" I said. / "Such a delicate high head, / So much sternness and such charm, / Till they had changed us to like strength? " / Ah, but peace that comes at length, / Came when Time had touched her form.
What this Textopian page supports
Peace is listed on Textopian as a poem by W.B. Yeats, dated 1939 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: W.B. Yeats
- Date: 1939 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Modernist Poetry, Symbolic Poetry, Elegiac Poetry
- Length: 117 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is a poem, characterized by its verse form and rhythmic language.
- Lyric Poetry — The poem expresses personal emotions and reflections, typical of the lyric tradition.
- Modernist Poetry — The work exhibits early modernist tendencies through its exploration of time, transformation, and symbolic imagery.
- Symbolic Poetry — The poem employs rich symbolic references drawn from classical mythology and art to deepen its themes.
Tags
poetic · verse · mysticism · symbolism · Irish literature · spirituality · romanticism · mythology · philosophical · aesthetic · visionary · paradoxical