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Children Quote by William Butler Yeats

“THE STOLEN CHILD Where dips the rocky highland Of Sleuth Wood in the lake, There lies a leafy island Where flapping herons wake The drowsy water rats; There we've hid our faery vats, Full of berrys And of reddest stolen cherries. Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery…” quote by William Butler Yeats
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““THE STOLEN CHILD Where dips the rocky highland Of Sleuth Wood in the lake, There lies a leafy island Where flapping herons wake The drowsy water rats; There we've hid our faery vats, Full of berrys And of reddest stolen cherries. Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand. Where the wave of moonlight glosses The dim gray sands with light, Far off by furthest Rosses We foot it all the night, Weaving olden dances Mingling hands and mingling glances Till the moon has taken flight; To and fro we leap And chase the frothy bubbles, While the world is full of troubles And anxious in its sleep. Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand. Where the wandering water gushes From the hills above Glen-Car, In pools among the rushes That scarce could bathe a star, We seek for slumbering trout And whispering in their ears Give them unquiet dreams; Leaning softly out From ferns that drop their tears Over the young streams. Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand. Away with us he's going, The solemn-eyed: He'll hear no more the lowing Of the calves on the warm hillside Or the kettle on the hob Sing peace into his breast, Or see the brown mice bob Round and round the oatmeal chest. For he comes, the human child, To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than he can understand.””

William Butler Yeats

About This Quote

Source Poem: “The Stolen Child” (1913)

The poem invites a child to leave the human world for a magical realm, suggesting that nature and fairy realms offer solace from sorrow.

In simple terms: A child is urged to escape sorrowful reality into nature’s wonder.

Key Takeaway

Seek wonder in nature when life feels heavy.

Themes

escape nature magic childhood

Mood

melancholic hopeful

Type

poetic mythic

When to use this quote

  • childhood imagination
  • mental health breaks
  • creative writing
  • spiritual retreats

Key Concepts

mythology nostalgia environmentalism

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does the “wild” represent for you?
  • Can imagination replace real‑world challenges?
A Different Perspective

The idealized escape may not solve real problems.

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