Animal Quote by William Butler Yeats
“Consume my heart away, sick with desire And fastened to a dying animal It knows not what it is, and gather me Into the artifice of eternity.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: "The Song of the Wandering Aengus", William Butler Yeats, 1917
Desire consumes the self, binding it to fleeting, mortal experiences, yearning for eternity.
In simple terms: Desire consumes self.
Key Takeaway
Recognize fleeting desire.
Themes
desire
mortality
eternity
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- artistic creation
- romantic longing
- spiritual seeking
- personal transformation
Key Concepts
self‑identity
transience
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “artifice of eternity” mean to you?
- How can desire be balanced with presence?
A Different Perspective
Eternal pursuit can cause loss of present joy.
![“These were the kind [of letters] you save, folded into a memory box, to be opened years later with fingers against crackling age, heart pounding with the sick desire to be possessed by memory.” quote by Eleanor Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c7c/eleanor-brown-9492_heart-pounding_these-were-the-kind-of-letters-you-save_2405919.jpg)
