Bones Quote by William Butler Yeats
“A line will take us hours maybe; / Yet if it does not seem a moment's thought, / Our stitching and unstitching has been naught... Better go down upon your marrow-bones / And scrub a kitchen pavement, or break stones... For to articulate sweet sounds together / Is to work harder than all these, and yet / Be thought an idler by the noisy set...”
About This Quote
Source Poem: "The Art of Stitching", 1915
He suggests that true artistic effort requires deep labor, often unappreciated by casual observers.
In simple terms: Great art demands hard, unseen work.
Key Takeaway
Commit to diligent creation.
Themes
art
effort
recognition
Mood
melancholic
determined
Type
literary
reflective
When to use this quote
- painting
- writing
- musical composition
Key Concepts
craftsmanship
labor
misunderstanding
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do audiences undervalue the process?
- How can creators find fulfillment despite criticism?
A Different Perspective
Hard work may be overlooked or dismissed.
![“The perfect woman, you see [is] a working-woman; not an idler; not a fine lady; but one who [uses] her hands and her head and her heart for the good of others.” quote by Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c0e/thomas-hardy-410_fine_the-perfect-woman-you-see-is-a-working-w_68254.jpg)
