Occupy the Internet
Library General The sacrifice of love
THINQon is a platform for a more intelligent web. It aims to replace the ruling paradigm of the web – that of sharing and gathering information – with a sharing and achieving of understanding. Instead of the Q&A model it offers an experience. A platform for discovery of ideas, people, and yourself.     Continue >
The sacrifice of love
Perhaps someone here can answer this question.
I came across an old favorite poem of mine, of W. B. Yeats, and when I said it aloud I felt as if I heard
the words for the first time:

Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

                                 -- W. B. Yeats


What do you make of the last line? Wouldn't one tread softly also walking on the cloths of Heaven?

To make the discussion a bit more personal, I have been thinking about what people give up for each other, especially as a sign of love, and why. I think the poem addresses that.
I believe the last line is making reference to the fact that when people share their dreams (thoughts, compassion, encouragement, and happiness) with someone, it is more delicate that material things (such as the cloths of the heavans, houses, cars, gifts), because while the latter if damaged can be replaced, the former if damaged will disapper or take new form.
Alex -- just wanted to say thanks for those last four words. I had been thinking about similar things, and this pointed out something for me which I had not exactly articulated: that one of the great possibilities, but also dangers, in opening ourselves to other people is that we are never the same afterwards. We cannot just carry our great idealism and energy with us in a separate box, and try out a relationship, and then if it does not work return to the person we were before and try again. It's not only that we have less time afterwards, it's somehow, as you say, that certain things in us take on a different form.  The people we are with change us deeply and constantly. It's an influence we cannot be forever afraid of opening ourselves to, but also one has to be careful -- the person you are intimate with can affect your whole understanding of the world, your whole sense of the possibility of things, and there is energy in love which we don't really have access to any other way -- so that if a relationship is not very fulfilling, it also takes something from us in the sense of not allowing us to be open to a certain kind of creative energy. Everything in love has its effect...
Join the Community
Full Name:
Your Email:
New Password:
I Am:
By registering at THINQon.com, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Discussion info
Latest Post: April 25, 2009 at 7:34 PM
Number of posts: 3
Spans 8 days
People participating

  
Searching
No results found.