A Prayer For My Daughter by W.B Yeats | Poems | Theme

 W.B Yeats

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A Prayer For My Daughter

"A Prayer For My Daughter" is a very personal poem by 'W.B Yeats'. It was a written a few weeks after the birth of the poet's daughter, Anne . W.B Yeats was a Irish poet and one of the foremost figure of  20th century Literature. His famous poems include :

• The Second Coming
• Leta and Swan
• The Stolen Child
• A Vision 

            In the poem ,'A Prayer For My Daughter', Poet thinks of some qualities of character which can make his infant daughter's life happy when she grows up . He hears a violent strom blowing outside. The strom makes the poet about his infant daughter's future.

                     Like any other father, the poet prays that his daughter should grow up as a beautiful lady, but her beauty should not disturb and distract others beautiful women start regarding beauty as an end in itself. He gives an example of Helen . Helen, the daughter of zeus was considered to be the most beautiful woman of the world. But she was not faithful to her husband . She eloped with Prince of Paris of Troy which resulted in a long trawn war. It destroyed Troy. According to the poet, The extremely beautiful women like Helen and Aphrodite were in some ways foolish . The poet wants that his daughter should not lose her natural kindness.

                  Furthermore, the poet wants his daughter to flourish like a tree , rooted at one place . She should be loyal to the soil and tradition. He desired that his daughter, like a linnet, should be natural, sportive , musical , merry and generous.

                  He prays that his daughter should not be rigid in her opinions. Hatred is the worst of all the evils. No harm can be done to the mind which is free from hatred. The poet seems to suggest that sorrows to suggest that sorrows will have no effect on his daughter if her mind is free from hatred. The poet wishes for a happy married life for his daughter. He wants that her husband should belong to a family having high spiritual values. He hopes that her husband will value ceremony and custom.

                  In short , the poem shows the eternal affection of a father for his daughter.

Gagandeep Kaur Chahal