Summary: For Anne Gregory - English Class 10

DETAILED SUMMARY

For Anne Gregory’ is one of the best love poems by William Butler Yeats. In this poem, the poet gives the description of a lover’s love for a lady. The lover liked the yellow colour of the lady’s hair. But he does not like her ramparts. The lady does not approve of his love. She wishes such a lover who loves her internally but not physically. She says that her yellow hair is temporary. She may dye them into brown or black or carrot colour soon. Then the poet says that only God loves human beings on the bases of their soul but not the body. Only selfless love is true.

DETAILED SUMMARY (2)

1.Love for Yellow Hair: This poem of W.B. Yeats has been addressed to a young and beautiful lady, named Anne Gregory. The physical charm of the young lady is irresistible. Her honey—coloured blonde hair falling on her ear easily attract the onlookers. The hair falling on the ears look like the ramparts or wide walls around a castle. However, it is difficult to say that a young man is thrown into despair and started loving her only for ‘herself alone’. The physical beauty of her hair is so irresistible that the lover doesn’t even bother to know whether the young lady has internal beauty and possesses nobility of the soul.
2. Superficial Physical Appearance: Anne Gregory’s response in the second stanza is quite expected one. She wants to say that she can get a hair-dye of any kind or colour. It depends on her if she colours her hair brown, or black or of carrot colour. She explodes the myth of physical beauty. She asks why should a young man falls in love with her and sigh In despair only after seeing the colour of her haw? If at all, any young man shows his love for her, then, that love should be based on her merits. She should be loved, not for her outward appearance but for what her inner beauty or personality is. Her character, personality and inner beauty must be the cause of attraction and not her yellow hair.
3. God’s Ability to Look Inside: The poet resolves the conflict in the third stanza. The poet quotes a religious text to prove his point. Men are men. Humans will fall to physical attractions quite easily. It is quite possible for a young man to be attracted by the beauty of Anne Gregory’s blonde hair. Only God has the ability to resist outwardly physical temptations. Only God can judge a man or a woman by what he or she is or his or her merits. Human beings, without God’s strength, can’t look beyond outward appearances and physical beauty.

Main Points of the Poem

1.The poem is addressed to a young and beautiful lady named Anne Gregory.
2.Her hair is honey-coloured or blonde.
3.Every young man loves Anne just because of her beautiful hair.
4.Her hair falling on her ears look like the ramparts surrounding a castle.
5.The poet says that no one would love Anne Gregory for ‘herself alone’.
6.No one cares for her inner beauty or the nobility of her soul.
7.Her outward appearance and her yellow hair are the only causes of her attraction.
8.In the second stanza, the lady, Anne Gregory herself settles the issue.
9.She says that she is free to choose what colour she uses to dye her hair.
10.She can dye her hair brown or black or of the colour of a carrot.
11.Any young man should fall in love with her only after judging her own merits.
12.Her yellow hair or outwardly appearance should not make any young man sigh for her in despair.
13.She should be loved for ‘herself alone’.
14.In the last stanza, the poet resolves the issue.
15.The poet quotes a religious text.
16.It is beyond human beings not to be attracted by physical appearance or beauty.
17.Human beings can be easily swayed by beautiful yellow hair or outwardly appearance.
18.Only God has the ability to withstand the temptations of physical beauty.
19.Men, without God’s strength, simply can’t look beyond physical appearances.