--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In Prison Wearily, drearily, Half the day…" description: "\"In Prison Wearily, drearily, Half the day long, Flap the great banners High over the stone; Strangely and eerily Sounds the wind's song, Bending the ba..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/william-morris-4229_all-alone_in-prison-wearily-drearily-half-the-day_144980.jpg" --- # In Prison Wearily, drearily, Half the day long, Flap the… ![“In Prison Wearily, drearily, Half the day long, Flap the great banners High over the stone; Strangely and eerily Sounds the wind's song, Bending the banner-poles. While, all alone, Watching the loophole's spark, Lie I, with life all dark, Feet tethered, hands fettered Fast to the stone, The grim…” quote by William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/william-morris-4229_all-alone_in-prison-wearily-drearily-half-the-day_144980.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/william-morris-4229_all-alone_in-prison-wearily-drearily-half-the-day_144980.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/william-morris-4229_all-alone_in-prison-wearily-drearily-half-the-day_144980.jpg) > “In Prison Wearily, drearily, Half the day long, Flap the great banners High over the stone; Strangely and eerily Sounds the wind's song, Bending the banner-poles. While, all alone, Watching the loophole's spark, Lie I, with life all dark, Feet tethered, hands fettered Fast to the stone, The grim walls, square lettered With prisoned men's groan. Still strain the banner-poles Through the wind's song, Westward the banner rolls Over my wrong.” [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The poem depicts a bleak prison setting where banners sway, symbolizing hope amid confinement, yet the narrator feels trapped and haunted. **In simple terms:** A prisoner sees banners move, feeling both hope and despair. Key Takeaway Seek meaning even in oppressive circumstances. Themes prison despair hope loneliness resilience Mood somber poetic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - solitary confinement - mental health - creative expression - spiritual yearning Key Concepts symbolism existentialism freedom Questions to Reflect On - What does the banner represent for you? - How can you find agency in restrictive environments? A Different Perspective Hope may be illusory without action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [All alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/all-alone/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) ## Related quotes > [I think we should have basically the same tax policy that Germany, Japan, the U.K., everybody else has, which is a tax rate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/i-think-we-should-have-basically-the-same-tax-policy-that-germany/) [Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/) > [A man can be saved and not believe in the Doctrines of Grace...but he must be a very proud man. Unknown-but if you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-graham/a-man-can-be-saved-and-not-believe-in-the-doctrines-of-grace-but-he/) [Will Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-graham/) > [We need to close the loopholes that allowed large corporations to abuse the Paycheck Protection Program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-harrison/we-need-to-close-the-loopholes-that-allowed-large-corporations-to/) [Jaime Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-harrison/) > [New security loopholes are constantly popping up because of wireless networking. The cat-and-mouse game between hackers and system administrators is still in full swing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/new-security-loopholes-are-constantly-popping-up-because-of-wireless/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [A lot of the people that are poor take advantage of loopholes and pay no taxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/a-lot-of-the-people-that-are-poor-take-advantage-of-loopholes-and-pay/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [By getting rid of loopholes, you are making the system more fair so people who make the same kind of money pay the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/by-getting-rid-of-loopholes-you-are-making-the-system-more-fair-so/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [“One of the acid tests of our integrity is whether or not we keep the commitments and promises we have made or whether there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-r-callister/one-of-the-acid-tests-of-our-integrity-is-whether-or-not-we-keep-the/) [Tad R. Callister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-r-callister/) > [I see as white people finding loopholes in the slavery laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/i-see-as-white-people-finding-loopholes-in-the-slavery-laws/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [Are you worried that, when you go to hell, you'll only be taking the local and not be on the express? Why would you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/are-you-worried-that-when-you-go-to-hell-you-ll-only-be-taking-the/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [The whole tax code should be looked at, all the way from farm subsidies to carried interest to - to corporate loopholes, because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pagliuca/the-whole-tax-code-should-be-looked-at-all-the-way-from-farm/) [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) > [In the meantime the big corporations are fleeing America for tax havens and places like Ireland, Luxembourg and the Grand Cayman Islands; the rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/in-the-meantime-the-big-corporations-are-fleeing-america-for-tax/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [Walking the streets on winter nights kept him warm, despite the cold nocturnal passions of uprising winds. His footsteps led between trade-marked houses, two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sillitoe/walking-the-streets-on-winter-nights-kept-him-warm-despite-the-cold/) [Alan Sillitoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-sillitoe/) > [I think we can have some tax reform, but that doesn't mean tax increases. We ought to make the, the rates flatter. We ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-think-we-can-have-some-tax-reform-but-that-doesn-t-mean-tax/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [We do live in an environment of crony capitalism, and the main reason we do is that loopholes are for sale, and both parties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/we-do-live-in-an-environment-of-crony-capitalism-and-the-main-reason/) [Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/) > [President Obama has announced a task force to review the tax codes. He's concerned there are too many loopholes and too many people manipulating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/president-obama-has-announced-a-task-force-to-review-the-tax-codes-he/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) ## More by William Morris > [I can't enter into politico-social subjects with any interest, for on the whole, I see that things are in a muddle, and I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/i-can-t-enter-into-politico-social-subjects-with-any-interest-for-on/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [...If our houses, or clothes, our household furniture and utensils are not works of art, they are either wretched makeshifts, or, what is worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/if-our-houses-or-clothes-our-household-furniture-and-utensils-are-not/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [“Do not be deceived by the outside appearance of order in our plutocratic society. It fares with it as it does with the older…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/do-not-be-deceived-by-the-outside-appearance-of-order-in-our/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [I do not want art for a few any more than education for a few, or freedom for a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/i-do-not-want-art-for-a-few-any-more-than-education-for-a-few-or/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [I half wish that I had not been born with a sense of romance and beauty in this accursed age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/i-half-wish-that-i-had-not-been-born-with-a-sense-of-romance-and/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [Free men must live simple lives and have simple pleasures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/free-men-must-live-simple-lives-and-have-simple-pleasures/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [“Now let us go, love, down the winding stair, With fingers intertwined...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/now-let-us-go-love-down-the-winding-stair-with-fingers-intertwined/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [Between complete socialism and communism there is no difference whatever in my mind.Communism is in fact the completion of socialism; when that ceases to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/between-complete-socialism-and-communism-there-is-no-difference/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [“October O love, turn from the changing sea and gaze, Down these grey slopes, upon the year grown old, A-dying 'mid the autumn-scented haze…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/october-o-love-turn-from-the-changing-sea-and-gaze-down-these-grey/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [The wind is not helpless for any man's need, Nor falleth the rain but for thistle and weed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/the-wind-is-not-helpless-for-any-man-s-need-nor-falleth-the-rain-but/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [“Have nothing in your house you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/have-nothing-in-your-house-you-do-not-know-to-be-useful-or-believe-to/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [Simplicity of life, even the barest, is not a misery, but the very foundation of refinement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/simplicity-of-life-even-the-barest-is-not-a-misery-but-the-very/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [I pondered all these things, and how men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/i-pondered-all-these-things-and-how-men-fight-and-lose-the-battle-and/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [Happy as we are, times may alter; we may be bitten with some impulse towards change, and many things may seem too wonderful for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/happy-as-we-are-times-may-alter-we-may-be-bitten-with-some-impulse/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [I am going your way, so let us go hand in hand. You help me and I'll help you. We shall not be here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/i-am-going-your-way-so-let-us-go-hand-in-hand-you-help-me-and-i-ll/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) [Explore all 114 William Morris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) ## More All alone quotes > [I'm stranded all alone in the gas station of love, and I have to use the self service pump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-stranded-all-alone-in-the-gas-station-of-love-and-i-have-to-use/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Memory. All alone in the moonlight I can smile at the old days I was beautiful then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-nunn/memory-all-alone-in-the-moonlight-i-can-smile-at-the-old-days-i-was/) [Trevor Nunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-nunn/) > [You staying home all alone on New Year's Eve? Unthinkable. Take my advice the countdown should be shared with someone, or it's just another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-staying-home-all-alone-on-new-year-s-eve-unthinkable-take-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Those struggling with life-threatening thoughts do not feel connected to others. They feel all alone- even alone in the midst of a crowd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-hunt/those-struggling-with-life-threatening-thoughts-do-not-feel-connected/) [June Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-hunt/) > [Who will cry for the little boy, lost and all alone? Who will cry for the little boy, abandoned without his own? Who will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antwone-fisher/who-will-cry-for-the-little-boy-lost-and-all-alone-who-will-cry-for/) [Antwone Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antwone-fisher/) > [There's much more. There's all that goes beyond – all ... that is Elsewhere – and all that goes back, and back, and back.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/there-s-much-more-there-s-all-that-goes-beyond-all-that-is-elsewhere/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [I crawled back into myself all alone, just delighted to observe that I was even more miserable than before, because I had brought a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/i-crawled-back-into-myself-all-alone-just-delighted-to-observe-that-i/) [Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) > [His thumb went back and forth over the satin, as if he were rubbing her hip as he had when they’d been together, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/his-thumb-went-back-and-forth-over-the-satin-as-if-he-were-rubbing/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [Doubt is a central factor all the time. There's always the doubt: What the hell am I doing out here in the middle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-welliver/doubt-is-a-central-factor-all-the-time-there-s-always-the-doubt-what/) Neil Welliver > [The stories never said why she was wicked. It was enough to be an old woman, enough to be all alone, enough to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-stories-never-said-why-she-was-wicked-it-was-enough-to-be-an-old/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [And I have the others in me. Even when I’m far away from them, I am forced to live with them. Even when I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/and-i-have-the-others-in-me-even-when-i-m-far-away-from-them-i-am/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [Me and my shadow Strolling down the avenue Oh, me and my shadow Not a soul to tell our troubles to And when it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-rose/me-and-my-shadow-strolling-down-the-avenue-oh-me-and-my-shadow-not-a/) [Billy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-rose/) > [I think every family has that moment when the parents realize they need help and think, Oh my gosh. We cannot do this all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-think-every-family-has-that-moment-when-the-parents-realize-they/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [Everyone, at some point in their lives, wakes up in the middle of the night with the feeling that they are all alone in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-at-some-point-in-their-lives-wakes-up-in-the-middle-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As for me, I am mean: that means that I need the suffering of others to exist. A flame. A flame in their hearts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/as-for-me-i-am-mean-that-means-that-i-need-the-suffering-of-others-to/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) [Browse all 214 All alone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/all-alone/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In Prison Wearily, drearily, Half the day long, Flap the great banners High over the stone; Strangely and eerily Sounds the wind's song, Bending the banner-poles. While, all alone, Watching the loophole's spark, Lie I, with life all dark, Feet tethered, hands fettered Fast to the stone, The grim walls, square lettered With prisoned men's groan. Still strain the banner-poles Through the wind's song, Westward the banner rolls Over my wrong.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Morris" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/in-prison-wearily-drearily-half-the-day-long-flap-the-great-banners/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "All alone" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/in-prison-wearily-drearily-half-the-day-long-flap-the-great-banners/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/william-morris-4229_all-alone_in-prison-wearily-drearily-half-the-day_144980.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/william-morris-4229_all-alone_in-prison-wearily-drearily-half-the-day_144980.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff5/william-morris-4229_all-alone_in-prison-wearily-drearily-half-the-day_144980.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In Prison Wearily, drearily, Half the day long, Flap the great banners High over the stone; Strangely and…” — William Morris", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Morris", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In Prison Wearily, drearily, Half the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/in-prison-wearily-drearily-half-the-day-long-flap-the-great-banners/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/in-prison-wearily-drearily-half-the-day-long-flap-the-great-banners/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```