--- title: "7 Flames Quotes By William Butler Yeats" description: "7 Flames quotes by William Butler Yeats. Plus more from William Butler Yeats and more Flames sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/william-butler-yeats-350_allegory_a-symbol-is-indeed-the-only-possible-exp_356850.png" --- > [A symbol is indeed the only possible expression of some invisible essence, a transparent lamp about a spiritual flame; while allegory is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/a-symbol-is-indeed-the-only-possible-expression-of-some-invisible/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/william-butler-yeats-350_allegory_a-symbol-is-indeed-the-only-possible-exp_356850.png) > [I would that we were, my beloved, white birds on the foam of the sea! We tire of the flame of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/i-would-that-we-were-my-beloved-white-birds-on-the-foam-of-the-sea-we/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53c/william-butler-yeats-350_beloved_i-would-that-we-were-my-beloved-white-bi_565999.png) > [O sweet everlasting Voices, be still; Go to the guards of the heavenly fold And bid them wander obeying your will, Flame…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/o-sweet-everlasting-voices-be-still-go-to-the-guards-of-the-heavenly-2/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/william-butler-yeats-350_everlasting_o-sweet-everlasting-voices-be-still-go-t_649603.png) > [Whatever flames upon the night Man's own resinous heart has fed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/whatever-flames-upon-the-night-man-s-own-resinous-heart-has-fed/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dec/william-butler-yeats-350_feds_whatever-flames-upon-the-night-man-s-own_688617.png) > [Him who trembles before the flame and the flood, And the winds that blow through the starry ways, Let the starry winds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/him-who-trembles-before-the-flame-and-the-flood-and-the-winds-that/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/william-butler-yeats-350_blow_him-who-trembles-before-the-flame-and-th_921420.jpg) > [A tree there is that from its topmost bough Is half all glittering flame and half all green Abounding foliage moistened with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/a-tree-there-is-that-from-its-topmost-bough-is-half-all-glittering/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/william-butler-yeats-350_contradiction_a-tree-there-is-that-from-its-topmost-bo_1384339.png) > [I am haunted by numberless islands, many a Danaan shore, Where Time would surely forget us, and Sorrow come near us no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/i-am-haunted-by-numberless-islands-many-a-danaan-shore-where-time/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac4/william-butler-yeats-350_beloved_i-am-haunted-by-numberless-islands-many_2025617.png) ## Other authors on Flames ## More by William Butler Yeats > [Time can but make her beauty over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/time-can-but-make-her-beauty-over-again/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [I would have touched it like a child But knew my finger could but have touched Cold stone and water. I grew wild, Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/i-would-have-touched-it-like-a-child-but-knew-my-finger-could-but/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [You know what the Englishman's idea of compromise is? He says, Some people say there is a God. Some people say there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/you-know-what-the-englishman-s-idea-of-compromise-is-he-says-some/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [Beloved, let your eyes half close, and your heart beat Over my heart, and your hair fall over my breast, Drowning love's lonely hour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/beloved-let-your-eyes-half-close-and-your-heart-beat-over-my-heart/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [That toil of growing up; The ignominy of boyhood; the distress Of boyhood changing into man; The unfinished man and his pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/that-toil-of-growing-up-the-ignominy-of-boyhood-the-distress-of/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [I see a schoolboy when I think of him, With face and nose pressed to a sweet-shop window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/i-see-a-schoolboy-when-i-think-of-him-with-face-and-nose-pressed-to-a/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [Only God, my dear, Could love you for yourself alone And not your yellow hair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/only-god-my-dear-could-love-you-for-yourself-alone-and-not-your/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [We can only begin to live when we conceive life as Tragedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/we-can-only-begin-to-live-when-we-conceive-life-as-tragedy/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [I know that I shall meet my fate somewhere among the clouds above; those that I fight I do not hate, those that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/i-know-that-i-shall-meet-my-fate-somewhere-among-the-clouds-above/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [Great literature has always been written in a like spirit, and is, indeed, the Forgiveness of Sin, and when we find it becoming the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/great-literature-has-always-been-written-in-a-like-spirit-and-is/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [Where the wave of moonlight glosses The dim gray sands with light, Far off by furthest Rosses We foot it all the night, Weaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/where-the-wave-of-moonlight-glosses-the-dim-gray-sands-with-light-far/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [His element is so fine Being sharpened by his death, To drink from the wine-breath While our gross palates drink from the whole wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/his-element-is-so-fine-being-sharpened-by-his-death-to-drink-from-the/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [We poets would die of loneliness but for women, and we choose our men friends that we may have somebody to talk about women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/we-poets-would-die-of-loneliness-but-for-women-and-we-choose-our-men/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [Love is created and preserved by intellectual analysis, for we love only that which is unique, and it belongs to contemplation, not to action,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/love-is-created-and-preserved-by-intellectual-analysis-for-we-love/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [Who dreamed that beauty passes like a dream? For these red lips, with all their mournful pride, Mournful that no new wonder may betide,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/who-dreamed-that-beauty-passes-like-a-dream-for-these-red-lips-with/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flames/william-butler-yeats/#itemlist", "name": "7 Flames Quotes By William Butler Yeats", "numberOfItems": 7, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A symbol is indeed the only possible expression of some invisible essence, a transparent lamp about a spiritual flame; while allegory is one of many possible representations of an embodied thing, or familiar principle, and belongs to fancy and not to imagination: the one is a revelation, the other an amusement.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Butler Yeats" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/a-symbol-is-indeed-the-only-possible-expression-of-some-invisible/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/william-butler-yeats-350_allegory_a-symbol-is-indeed-the-only-possible-exp_356850.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/william-butler-yeats-350_allegory_a-symbol-is-indeed-the-only-possible-exp_356850.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/william-butler-yeats-350_allegory_a-symbol-is-indeed-the-only-possible-exp_356850.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A symbol is indeed the only possible expression of some invisible essence, a transparent lamp about a…” — William Butler Yeats", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I would that we were, my beloved, white birds on the foam of the sea! 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