In the poem below, by William Butler Yeats, imagery of the cosmos, the intricate embroidery and its varying hues in the first half of the poem, casts a dream-like quality in just a few short words.
Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
In the next part, he reveals there is someone he considers even more resplendent than the heavens. Only a cloth woven of magnificent star stuff is worthy for his love to step on.
Exposed in his vulnerability and humility, he speaks only of wishes, longing, and sacrifice to the one he hopes to give it all to. The final line ends with a simple request, for his love to tread softly as both he and his dreams are woven into the same fabric.
This poem is one stanza consisting of eight lines. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD. Notice how the words which correspond (AA, BB, CC, DD) are identical.
Try It: Poetry Like Aedh’s Wishes
What are the dreams of your heart? You know, the ones you keep close to the vest. Write a poem likening your wishes and dreams to something in nature. Keep the details of your dream a secret to keep up the intrigue. Just offer a hint. What do you think are the risks of being vulnerable in sharing your deepest wishes. Is it worth it? As an additional challenge, try writing your poem with the same ABAB CDCD rhyme scheme.
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Featured Poem
Thanks to everyone who participated in last week’s poetry prompt. Here is a poem from Prasanta we enjoyed:
Sky Blue and Silver
close your eyes
let darkness fall upon blue seas
hold out empty hands
receive gift I would send
wrapped in transparent sky blue
tied with a sparkly, silver bow
gently pull, unravel the silver
lift the lid, open the box
tilt darkness to the sun
let light touch the shadows
a thousand pages open
rich, beautiful words flutter
your eyes glimmer silver-blue
your laughter scatters like glitter
see all that you love
drench your heart and hands
Photo by Vladimer ShioShvili. Creative Commons via Flickr.
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How to Write a Poem uses images like the buzz, the switch, the wave—from the Billy Collins poem “Introduction to Poetry”—to guide writers into new ways of writing poems. Excellent teaching tool. Anthology and prompts included.
“How to Write a Poem is a classroom must-have.”
—Callie Feyen, English Teacher, Maryland
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Donna says
Loved seeing Prasanta’s poem again!
Prasanta says
Thank you, Donna, so kind of you!
Rick Maxson says
Prasanta, this poem gets lovelier each time I read it. Your poem makes me think that the night sky itself is the gift and the stars, floating like glitter, are descending around me wrapped in their light.
Rick Maxson says
Here is one I revised.
Fire Hides In the Quiet Air
Maybe time will tell
that all we’ve imagined is true
for earth and heaven.
The sunlight dying in the distance
is neither here nor there as it turns
with our desires to see what seeing means.
In the wild grass the sun burnishes
the earth, makes spots of gold
that for hopeful breaths sustain
and float like rain clouds holding rain.
I believe in the field of stars,
rising from unseen milky stems—
delicately masked flowers, flakes
shaken from the Diamond Frost
on the hillside and scattered
like wishes deep into the night sky.
It is a wild heaven that awaits us,
filled with dust aloft in the light,
like dandelion seed?
Fire hides in the quiet air—
the proof rises from the summer moons
in the pale lawns of your childhood.
In jars filled with grass and fireflies—
recall the seasons their spell held you,
keep them safe in this world of words.
Prasanta says
Rick, thank you for those kind words above. And Heather, thank you so much for sharing my poem.
But I must say your poem above is beautiful. The imagery is nostalgic and actually, for me, reminiscent of childhood and hopes and dreams; the whole piece paints a magical scene. I like thinking about how “fire hides in the quiet air”, and the fireflies, and the stars and flakes of Diamond Frost, the dandelion seed and “dust aloft”.
I especially like these:
“In the wild grass the sun burnishes
the earth, makes spots of gold”
“flakes
shaken from the Diamond Frost
on the hillside and scattered
like wishes”
“dust aloft in the light,
like dandelion seed?”
“pale lawns of your childhood.”
Well, I might as well have copied your entire poem! 🙂
Rick Maxson says
Thank you, Prasanta.
Donna says
I’m with Prasanta! So much to love here…. the title is so strong. And I love the feeling of a Wild heaven!
Rick Maxson says
Thank you, Donna.
Heather Eure says
I ditto everyone’s comments! “It is a wild heaven that awaits us,”
This will be my favorite verse for the week, and probably longer. 🙂
Shannon Mayhew says
Rick, this is stunning in its beauty and magic. I especially love the way you remind us of the wishes we cast into that field of stars, or whispered into the fuzz of dandelion seed, as children.
Reading this poem, I am reminded of one of my favorite books, Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. Have you read it? I think you would enjoy it. Although it is perhaps best savored in the summer…
Katie says
Guiding On
So brilliant, hanging just out of reach
And lighting all beneath; aglow
With shining light not your own, you reach
Through space reflecting our star aglow.
Your light showing the path to us
Your beacon revealing the way ahead
No need of torch, the trail already lit for us
We know not the way, ’til you show it up ahead.
Last night was the Supermoon (when the moon is closest to the earth). When my husband was driving us home I could hardly take my eyes from it, so bright and big and beautiful it was – and seeming close enough to touch if I would just put down my car window.
I began to imagine run away slaves fleeing north on such a night and wrote this to honor their courage and all those who aided them along the Underground Railroad.
Donna says
Thank you, Katie 🙂
I especially like this line: No need of torch, the trail already lit for us
It can remind us that we carry too many things mistaken as ‘necessary’.
Katie says
Thank you, Donna.
I imagine anyone fleeing from harm and/or injustice must travel very light. When speed and concealment are of the essence one doesn’t “over-pack”. I think they must have been extremely grateful for those aiding them.
Brandon Ezzard says
I have a seed, and hope to plant a tree of life,
fruit for all to eat, one to keep one from death,
have enough for everyone, fruit from the tree of life
cause neighbor to love neighbor, and forsake death.
I sowed it bountifully, and hope to watch it grow,
around the clock it goes, for time is it’s soil.
From sun up to sun down it helps everyone grow,
till back to the dust we go, seeds ourselves in soil.
Donna says
Brandon, I enjoyed reading your poem… and really liked this line: around the clock it goes, for time is it’s soil.
I love that … time is its soil. 🙂
Thank you.
Brandon Ezzard says
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Your kind comment, I pray you receive one yourself doubly.
God bless you abundantly, exceeding above what you even imagine.