He Wishes His Beloved Were Dead
Were you but lying cold and dead, And lights were paling out of the West, You would come hither, and bend your head, And I would lay my head on your breast; And you would murmur tender words, Forgiving me, because you were dead: Nor would you rise and hasten away, Though you have the will of the wild birds, But know your hair was bound and wound About the stars and moon and sun: O would, beloved, that you lay Under the dock-leaves in the ground, While lights were paling one by one.
AI analysis available. Enable JavaScript to interact.
About this line
"Were you but lying cold and dead,..."
"He Wishes His Beloved Were Dead" is a quintessential example of William Butler Yeats's signature style... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...