W.B. Yeats’ ‘For Anne Gregory‘ is a gentle and pleasing poem written for the granddaughter of his friend and collaborator, Lady Gregory. It is one of the Irish poets’ later works and is less well-known than some of his early poems.
It is worth knowing ahead of time that the poem is written as a dialogue in which Yeats is meant to be the speaker of stanzas one and three, while the second stanza is a response from the titular figure, Anne Gregory. It might also be worth getting a sense of who Yeats was at this stage of his life, both physically but also in terms of his literary reputation. He was in his late sixties at the time and would have appeared like a grandfather figure to the youthful Anne. Moreover, he was undisputedly Ireland's greatest living writer at the time and Anne would likely have felt very intimidated by his interest in her, despite the fact he was friends with her grandmother.
For Anne GregoryW.B. YeatsNever shall a young man,Thrown into despairBy those great honey-colouredRamparts at your ear,Love you for yourself aloneAnd not your yellow hair.
‘But I can get a hair-dyeAnd set such colour there,(...)
Explore For Anne Gregory
- 1 Summary
- 2 Context
- 3 Analysis, Stanza by Stanza
- 4 Structure
- 5 Similar Poetry
Summary
‘For Anne Gregory‘ explores questions about external beauty and inner beauty by focusing on the appearance of Anne’s hair.
Written over three stanzas, Yeats’ poem functions as a conversation between two individuals, presumably Yeats and Anne herself, about the realities of her appearance. The male speaker outlines the fact that her hair will attract suitors to her that may not value her for her inner beauty which, despite the girl’s refutations, is an argument the male speaker repeats in the third stanza.
The Poem Analysis Take
Expert Insights by Joe Santamaria
B.A. in English and Related Literature, M.A. in Irish Literature
The poem is a little unusual and doesn't necessarily fit with our modern sensibilities, although Yeats' intention was not to be unkind. The poem's focus on Anne's appearance feels a little uncomfortable, especially given the fact she is assigned very little agency in the poem. However, there is something very personal about the poem and the story behind it which is always exciting for fans of a poet like Yeats. Insights into the real lives of such renowned literary figures are rare and hard to come by.
Context
The titular Anne Gregory was the granddaughter of Lady Gregory, one of Yeats’ most enduring friends and collaborators over the years. Yeats and Lady Gregory are regarded as the two most important figures in the Irish Literary Revival. This poem was written in 1933, ten years after Yeats had been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. He was already regarded as one of the finest poets alive and only lived for six more years, eventually passing away in 1939.
Analysis, Stanza by Stanza
Stanza One
Never shall a young man,
Thrown into despair
By those great honey-coloured
Ramparts at your ear,
Love you for yourself alone
And not your yellow hair.
Yeats begins the poem with the hyperbolic claim that no young man will ever be able to love Anne for her personality, not because it isn’t worth loving, but because her hair is so beautiful that they wouldn’t be able to notice anything else.
He uses a metaphor when describing her hair to be a “great honey-coloured rampart” which evokes the stunning reality of her hair due to the sweet and pleasant connotations of honey. However, the reference to ramparts somewhat juxtaposes these pleasant connotations because it has defensive and militaristic connotations. This tension is intended to represent the fact that Anne’s beautiful hair is as much a curse as it is a blessing because, according to Yeats, her beauty prevents her from making meaningful connections with people rather than enabling her to do so.
Stanza Two
But I can get a hair-dye
And set such colour there,
Brown, or black, or carrot,
That young men in despair
May love me for myself alone
And not my yellow hair.
The second stanza is the response from the girl, presumably Anne herself, in which she attempts to refute Yeats’ claims. The use of the asyndetic list of potential alternative hair colors she could adopt speaks to her desperation to prove him wrong as it evokes a sense of panic.
Moreover, unlike Yeats’ elevated description of her hair color, she simply lists colors by name, including “yellow”. This appears to be an attempt to downplay its beauty, which serves to suggest Yeats may be right and that her hair is a distraction she would prefer to deny is a factor.
Stanza Three
I heard an old religious man
But yesternight declare
That he had found a text to prove
That only God, my dear,
Could love you for yourself alone
And not your yellow hair.
The third and final stanza is once again narrated by the figure presumed to be Yeats himself. The speaker uses religious imagery in an attempt to convince Anne that he is right about her hair. The hyperbolic claim that “only God” would be able to love Anne for reasons other than her hair both emphasises its beauty and also functions as a reminder of the shallowness of and unworthiness of the men Anne is likely to meet.
Finally, the use of enjambment in lines one, two, three, and five imbue the stanza with pace and additional emphasis to make Yeats’ final argument appear irrefutable and emphatic.
Structure
The poem contains three six-line stanzas, known as sestets, and takes on the form of an imagined conversation between the poet and his subject, Anne Gregory. The poet also uses an ABCBDB rhyme scheme throughout the poem which helps imbue the text with authority and confidence, implying Yeats felt confident in his assessment of Anne’s likelihood of finding an appropriate partner.
Similar Poetry
Readers who enjoyed ‘For Anne Gregory‘ might want to explore otherW.B. Yeats poems. For example:
- ‘The Second Coming‘ – An incredible poem that draws upon Christian imagery to explore the anxieties of Yeats’ modern world.
- ‘Easter, 1916‘ – One of Yeats’ finest poems, it reflects upon the events and consequences of the Easter Rising that took place in Dublin.
Some other poems that may be of interest include:
- ‘Black Hair‘ by Gary Soto – Another poem preoccupied with hair, in which Soto describes a child’s reaction to a baseball game.
- ‘For Heidi With Blue Hair‘ by Fleur Adco*ck – This six-stanza poem is fixated upon its titular subject at the expense of the speaker’s surroundings.
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