For Anne Gregory – William Butler Yeats

 For Anne Gregory – William Butler Yeats

Introduction of the Poem

"For Anne Gregory" is a short but meaningful poem by William Butler Yeats. The poem explores the theme of love, beauty, and human nature. Through a conversation between an old man and a young girl named Anne Gregory, the poet conveys that physical beauty is temporary, and true love should be based on inner qualities rather than outward appearance.

---

Text of the Poem

"Never shall a young man,
Thrown into despair
By those great honey-colored
Ramparts at your ear,
Love you for yourself alone
And not your yellow hair."

"But I can get a hair-dye
And set such color there,
Brown, or black, or carrot,
That young men in despair
May love me for myself alone
And not my yellow hair."

"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."

---

50 Difficult Words with Meanings in English and Hindi

Word	Meaning (English)	अर्थ (हिन्दी)
Despair	A feeling of hopelessness	निराशा
Ramparts	Defensive walls	परकोटे
Honey-colored	Golden yellow shade	शहद जैसा रंग
Thrown into despair	Made deeply sad	गहरी उदासी में डालना
Yourself alone	Only for what you truly are	केवल तुम्हारे असली रूप के लिए
Hair-dye	Coloring for hair	बालों का रंग
Set such color	Change the color	रंग बदलना
Carrot	A shade of orange	गाजर जैसा रंग
Religious	Devoted to faith	धार्मिक
Declare	Announce or state	घोषणा करना
Found a text	Discovered a written proof	एक पाठ्य खोजा
Prove	To establish truth	साबित करना
Only God	No one else but God	केवल ईश्वर
Love for yourself	Love beyond physical appearance	सच्चे रूप से प्रेम करना
Great honey-colored ramparts	Beautiful golden hair	सुंदर सुनहरे बाल
Young man	A male youth	युवा पुरुष
Alone	Without others	अकेला
Prove	Show to be true	सिद्ध करना
Beauty	Physical attractiveness	सुंदरता
Temporary	Not permanent	अस्थायी
Inner qualities	Characteristics of the soul	आंतरिक गुण
Outward appearance	External look	बाहरी रूप
Devoted	Dedicated to something	समर्पित
Conversation	Exchange of words	बातचीत
Yeats	The poet's name	कवि का नाम
Poem	A piece of literature written in verse	कविता
Theme	Central idea	केंद्रीय विचार
Love	A strong feeling of affection	प्रेम
Human nature	The way people think and behave	मानव स्वभाव
True love	Genuine affection	सच्चा प्यार
Physical beauty	Outer attractiveness	शारीरिक सुंदरता
Temporary	Lasting for a short time	अस्थायी
Change	To make different	बदलना
Dye	Coloring material	रंग
Soul	The inner self	आत्मा
Materialistic	Focused on physical things	भौतिकवादी
Emotion	A feeling	भावना
Perception	The way something is understood	धारणा
Vanity	Excessive pride	घमंड
Admiration	Deep respect	प्रशंसा
Temporary attraction	Short-term liking	अस्थायी आकर्षण
Eternal	Lasting forever	शाश्वत
Spiritual	Related to the soul	आध्यात्मिक
Reality	The actual truth	वास्तविकता
Desire	A strong wish	इच्छा
Commitment	A promise or dedication	प्रतिबद्धता
Perspective	Point of view	दृष्टिकोण
Innocence	Purity	मासूमियत
Wisdom	Deep knowledge	बुद्धिमत्ता

---

Central Idea (40 Words)

The poem "For Anne Gregory" conveys the idea that physical beauty is superficial and temporary. People often love others based on appearance, but true love values inner beauty. Only God is capable of loving a person purely for their soul, not their looks.

---

Summary of the Poem

In this poem, Yeats presents a conversation about beauty and love. A man tells Anne Gregory that young men love her for her beautiful golden hair, not for her true self. Anne responds that she can change her hair color to make them love her for who she really is. However, an old religious man asserts that only God can truly love someone for their real self, beyond external beauty. The poem highlights how most human love is based on superficial appearances rather than inner virtues.