For Anne Gregory
By
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Summary:
W.B. Yeats' *For Anne Gregory* explores the
conflict between superficial attraction and genuine
love, using metaphor and symbolism to deepen its
meaning. The speaker opens by comparing Anne
Gregory's "honey-coloured" hair to "great honey-
coloured ramparts," an evocative metaphor
symbolizing beauty as a fortress that captivates
and isolates. Ramparts, traditionally used as
protective barriers, suggest that her striking hair
creates both admiration and separation, as it
prevents others from truly seeing and loving her
for her inner self. This metaphor underscores
Yeats’ critique of human relationships, which are
often constrained by surface-level perceptions
rather than deeper emotional connections.
In the second stanza, Anne Gregory expresses her
belief in the possibility of redirecting attention from
her physical appearance by dyeing her hair in
unconventional shades like "brown," "black," or
"carrot." Her willingness to alter her outward
identity signifies her frustration with being defined
by her beauty and her desire to be valued for her
true self. The act of changing her hair color,
however, also hints at the limitations of such
efforts, as it addresses external perceptions rather
than challenging the deeper societal norms that
prioritize appearances. The ramparts metaphor
lingers here, as even if the walls are repainted,
they still exist, highlighting the enduring barrier
between her inner self and others' understanding
of it.
The poem concludes with a spiritual reflection, as
the speaker recalls the words of an "old religious
man" who asserts that only God can love Anne for
her essence, unshaped by her appearance. The
ramparts of her beauty, impenetrable to human
understanding, become irrelevant in divine love,
which transcends physicality. Yeats uses this
imagery to critique human shallowness while
offering a spiritual perspective on unconditional
acceptance. Ultimately, the poem uses Anne's
yellow hair as a symbol of the tension between
appearance and identity, urging readers to
question the fragility of human love and the need
for deeper understanding.
Poetic devices
The rhyme scheme of the poem is abcbdb.
Metaphor- In the poem, the phrase ‘honey-
coloured ramparts’ is a metaphor. Yeats
compares Anne Gregory’s hair to the walls of
a fort. Just like the walls of a fort hide and
protect the city, the hair hides the true self of
Anne Gregory.
Apostrophe- An apostrophe is a rhetorical
device in which a speaker or writer addresses
an imaginary or absent person, object, or
concept as if it were present and able to
respond. In this poem, Yeats is seen talking to
Anne Gregory, but the readers don’t see her at
any point in the poem.
Alliteration
Repetition- Yellow hair, despair
Anaphora- repeating a word or phrase at the
beginning of sentences or clauses that follow
each other, done for emphasis
In the 3rd stanza – the second and third line:
That he had found a text to prove
That only God, my dear
Enjambment
Imagery
Metonymy - a figure of speech consisting of
the use of the name of one thing for that of
another of which it is an attribute or with which
it is associated. Here, the poet has used the
word carrot to refer to the colour orange.
