by William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939)
I went out to the hazel wood
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Language: English
I went out to the hazel wood, Because a fire was in my head, And cut and peeled a hazel wand, And hooked a berry to a thread; And when white moths were on the wing, And moth-like stars were flickering out, I dropped the berry in a stream And caught a little silver trout. When I had laid it on the floor I went to blow the fire aflame, But something rustled on the floor, And some one called me by my name: It had become a glimmering girl With apple blossom in her hair Who called me by my name and ran And faded through the brightening air. Though I am old with wandering Through hollow lands and hilly lands, I will find out where she has gone, And kiss her lips and take her hands; And walk among long dappled grass, And pluck till time and times are done The silver apples of the moon, The golden apples of the sun.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotesFirst published in Sketch, August 1897, revised 1899, renamed "Song of Wandering Aengus"
Text Authorship:
- by William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939), "A mad song" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2007-05-02
Line count: 24
Word count: 167