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Read more poems by William Butler Yeats: William Butler Yeats Poems at Poetry X.

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To A Friend Whose Work Has Come To Nothing

William Butler Yeats

Now all the truth is out,
Be secret and take defeat
From any brazen throat,
For how can you compete,
Being honour bred, with one
Who, were it proved he lies,
Were neither shamed in his own
Nor in his neighbours' eyes?
Bred to a harder thing
Than Triumph, turn away
And like a laughing string
Whereon mad fingers play
Amid a place of stone,
Be secret and exult,
Because of all things known
That is most difficult.

Added: 7 Sep 2001 | Last Read: 6 Sep 2010 1:19 AM | Viewed: 6678 times

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URL: http://plagiarist.com/poetry/1498/ | Viewed on 6 September 2010.
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