I'm pretty dense when it comes to poetry, but is he saying that children should embrace the "magic" of childhood or faery and not try to grow up so fast because the world is full of sadness? Or is he saying that the world steals the childhood ? Or both? -- Shamrocks & Stones

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Date Posted: 09:09:08 12/03/11 Sat
Author:

Lil
Subject: I'm pretty dense when it comes to poetry, but is he saying that children should embrace the "magic" of childhood or faery and not try to grow up so fast because the world is full of sadness? Or is he saying that the world steals the childhood ? Or both?
In reply to: PeggyB 's message, ""The Stolen Child"" on 21:59:55 12/01/11 Thu

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I think the human child is all humans, not just those that are chronologically children. Because this is Yeats, I think he's sticking close to the Irish fairy traditions. Even adults at this time believe you could be stolen away by the fairies, not just children. There were places you weren't to be after dark, roads you didn't walk, and you dang sure didn't go near a fairy mound after twilight. Yet, one can be haunted by the beauty of the idea of being lured beyond this world into that. I read a book a few years back called 'The Burning of Bridget Cleary' where a man killed his wife because he believe the fairies had possessed her and left him with only her body- she was just very ill at the time. (NT) -- cg, 20:14:25 12/03/11 Sat
- That s/b 'believed' up there. Also the older you get the more you come to realize how very full of sadness the world is, so the fairies, from their POV are being merciful in leading this human child away from that world into theirs. Sorry if this isn't terribly smart sounding, I've just come back from a long day of Christmas shopping and a rather foggy, harrowing two hour ride home. (NT) -- cg, 20:17:18 12/03/11 Sat
  - Thanks, Cindy. I get what you are saying. I didn't realize that they thought people of any age could be taken by fairies. Talk about walking around suspicious of everyone! (NT) -- Lil, 14:22:05 12/04/11 Sun

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