The Fisherman
Although I can see him still.
The freckled man who goes
To a gray place on a hill
In gray Connemara clothes
At dawn to cast his flies.
It’s long since I began
To call up to the eyes
This wise and simple man.
All day I’d looked in the face
What I had hoped it would be
To write for my own race.
And the reality:
The living men that I hate,
The dead man that I loved,
The craven man in his seat,
The insolent unreproved.
And no knave brought to book
Who has won a drunken cheer.
The witty man and his joke
Aimed at the commonest ear,
The clever man who cries
The catch cries of the clown,
The beating down of the wise
And great Art beaten down.Perhaps a year has passed.
Suddenly I began,
In scorn of this audience,
Imagining a man,
And his sun-freckled face
And gray Connemara cloth,
Climbing up to a place
Where stone is dark with froth,
And the down turn of his wrist
When the flies drop in the stream.
A man who does not exist,
A man who is but a dream;And cried, “Before I am old
I shall have written him one
Poem perhaps as cold
And passionate as the dawn.”
Unveiling “The Fisherman”: A Summary and Core Ideas
William Butler Yeats’s “The Fisherman,” published in 1920 as part of The Wild Swans at Coole, stands as a profound meditation on authenticity, artistic integrity, and the disillusionment with modern society. This poem invites readers to contemplate the stark contrast between an idealized past, embodied by a solitary fisherman, and a present perceived as superficial and morally compromised. It is not merely a descriptive piece about nature, but a deeply personal and cultural lament for a lost connection to genuine beauty and truth.
The Essence of the Poem
The poem opens with the speaker recalling a “freckled man” who goes to a “gray place on a hill” in “gray Connemara clothes” to fish at dawn. This fisherman is presented as a “wise and simple man,” an enduring image from the speaker’s memory or imagination. The speaker then contrasts this ideal figure with the disappointing reality of his contemporary world. He describes the “living men that I hate,” the “craven man,” the “insolent unreproved,” and those who celebrate mediocrity and superficial wit. He laments the decline of wisdom and “great Art beaten down” by these societal failings.
In the second stanza, a year later, the speaker, in “scorn of this audience,” begins to imagine this fisherman anew. This imagined figure, with his “sun-freckled face” and “gray Connemara cloth,” is depicted climbing to a rugged, natural spot. The speaker acknowledges that this man “does not exist,” that he is “but a dream.” The poem concludes with the speaker’s fervent declaration that he will write a poem for this imagined fisherman, a work that will be “as cold and passionate as the dawn,” reflecting both the starkness and the beauty of this ideal.
Central Idea: A Quest for Authenticity
The central idea of “The Fisherman” revolves around the poet’s profound longing for an Ireland, and indeed a world, that values wisdom, artistry, and integrity above all else. The fisherman serves as a powerful symbol of these cherished qualities: a man rooted in his land, skilled in his craft, possessing a quiet dignity and an uncorrupted spirit. Yeats contrasts this idealized figure with the “living men” of his time, whom he views as vain, clever without substance, and prone to celebrating the trivial. The poem’s core message is a yearning for a return to these authentic values, a desperate desire to capture the essence of this lost ideal in a work of art that mirrors the pure, unadorned beauty and starkness of the natural world at dawn.
Key Insights for Every Reader
For a deeper appreciation of “The Fisherman,” it is noteworthy that the poem is not a straightforward celebration of a real person or a simple pastoral scene. The fisherman is as much a creation of the poet’s imagination as a figure observed in reality. This highlights the poem’s exploration of the artist’s crucial role in preserving, reimagining, and even creating cultural ideals when the present reality falls short. The poem also serves as a poignant critique of societal decline, where genuine art and wisdom are overshadowed by superficiality and moral decay. It speaks to the universal struggle of the artist to find a worthy audience and to create enduring work in a world that often seems indifferent or hostile to true artistic merit.
A Deep Dive into “The Fisherman”: Analysis and Interpretation
“The Fisherman” is a masterful exploration of disillusionment and artistic resolve, weaving together personal reflection with broader cultural commentary. The poem’s power lies in its ability to create a vivid contrast between an imagined ideal and a disappointing reality, ultimately affirming the enduring power of art.
The Idealized Figure: The Fisherman
The fisherman emerges as the central symbol of purity and authenticity. The speaker’s initial description establishes him as a figure of quiet dignity and connection to nature:
Although I can see him still.
The freckled man who goes
To a gray place on a hill
In gray Connemara clothes
At dawn to cast his flies.
It’s long since I began
To call up to the eyes
This wise and simple man.
Here, the repetition of “gray” suggests a natural, unadorned existence, free from the gaudy trappings of modern life. The fisherman is “wise and simple,” embodying a profound understanding that comes from a life lived in harmony with the natural world and a dedication to his craft. He represents an ideal of Irish character, rooted in tradition and possessing an innate integrity that the speaker finds sorely lacking in his contemporary society.
The Disillusioned Present: Society’s Flaws
The speaker’s idealization of the fisherman is sharply contrasted with his scathing critique of the “reality” of his present-day audience and society. This section of the poem is a powerful expression of the poet’s disillusionment:
And the reality:
The living men that I hate,
The dead man that I loved,
The craven man in his seat,
The insolent unreproved.
And no knave brought to book
Who has won a drunken cheer.
The witty man and his joke
Aimed at the commonest ear,
The clever man who cries
The catch cries of the clown,
The beating down of the wise
And great Art beaten down.
The speaker expresses a deep contempt for the “living men” who populate his world, contrasting them with a “dead man that I loved,” perhaps a figure from Ireland’s heroic past or a personal mentor. He condemns the “craven man,” the “insolent unreproved,” and the “knave” who gains popular acclaim through superficial means. This critique extends to those who prioritize shallow entertainment over genuine insight, exemplified by “The witty man and his joke / Aimed at the commonest ear” and “The clever man who cries / The catch cries of the clown.” The ultimate tragedy, in the speaker’s view, is the “beating down of the wise / And great Art beaten down,” signifying a cultural decline where true value is no longer recognized or respected.
The Artist’s Resolve: Crafting a New Ideal
Faced with such a disheartening reality, the speaker finds solace and purpose in the act of artistic creation. He turns away from the disappointing audience of his time and begins to imagine the fisherman anew, not as a memory, but as a deliberate artistic construct:
Perhaps a year has passed.
Suddenly I began,
In scorn of this audience,
Imagining a man,
And his sun-freckled face
And gray Connemara cloth,
Climbing up to a place
Where stone is dark with froth,
And the down turn of his wrist
When the flies drop in the stream.
A man who does not exist,
A man who is but a dream;
This passage highlights the transformative power of imagination. The fisherman is now explicitly acknowledged as “A man who does not exist, / A man who is but a dream,” emphasizing his symbolic rather than literal reality. The speaker’s resolve culminates in a powerful declaration of artistic intent:
And cried, “Before I am old
I shall have written him one
Poem perhaps as cold
And passionate as the dawn.”
This final image of a poem “as cold / And passionate as the dawn” encapsulates the speaker’s artistic vision. “Cold” suggests objectivity, clarity, and the stark, unadorned truth of nature, while “passionate” speaks to the deep emotion and conviction behind the artistic endeavor. Like the dawn, the poem will be both beautiful and unyielding, a testament to an ideal that transcends the flaws of the present.
Literary Devices in “The Fisherman”: Crafting Meaning
Yeats masterfully employs a rich array of literary devices to imbue “The Fisherman” with its profound depth of meaning and emotional resonance. These techniques are crucial for understanding the poem’s layers of critique and aspiration.
- Imagery: Yeats creates vivid sensory experiences that transport the reader into the poem’s world. The description of the fisherman’s environment, such as “a gray place on a hill” and “gray Connemara clothes,” evokes a sense of natural simplicity and ruggedness. Further, the image of “stone is dark with froth” paints a picture of the wild, untamed Irish landscape, connecting the fisherman deeply to his environment. These images not only describe but also symbolize the uncorrupted nature of the ideal man.
- Symbolism: The poem is rich in symbolic meaning. The fisherman himself is the primary symbol, representing an authentic, uncorrupted Ireland, traditional values, and artistic integrity. His “sun-freckled face” and “gray Connemara cloth” symbolize his connection to the land and his simple, honest existence. The “living men” symbolize superficiality, vanity, moral decay, and the decline of genuine culture. The “dawn” at the poem’s conclusion symbolizes purity, new beginnings, and the stark, unadorned truth that the speaker wishes to capture in his art.
- Metaphor: The fisherman functions as an extended metaphor for an idealized past and a desired future. He is not merely a man who fishes, but a living embodiment of the qualities the speaker believes are essential for a truly great nation and truly great art. The act of writing the poem itself becomes a metaphor for the artist’s struggle to create enduring beauty in a flawed world.
- Allusion (Implied): While not a direct reference to a specific text or event, the poem carries an implied allusion to a lost golden age of Irish character and artistry. The speaker’s lament for “great Art beaten down” and his disdain for the “craven man” suggest a nostalgic longing for a time when wisdom and integrity were more widely celebrated, evoking a sense of a fallen ideal.
- Alliteration: The repetition of initial consonant sounds adds a rhythmic quality and emphasizes certain phrases. Examples include “catch cries of the clown” and “beating down of the wise,” which draw attention to the speaker’s disdain for superficiality and the tragic decline of wisdom.
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds within words creates a musicality and connects ideas. The repeated “e” sound in “Aimed at the commonest ear” subtly links the idea of lowbrow entertainment to a widespread audience. Similarly, the “o” sound in “To write for my own race” emphasizes the personal and cultural significance of the speaker’s artistic endeavor.
- Consonance: The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words, such as the repeated “t” sound in “The beating down of the wise,” adds a harshness that underscores the poem’s sense of decline and the speaker’s frustration.
- Anaphora: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or lines is used effectively to build emphasis. The repeated “The” at the start of several lines describing the undesirable men, such as “The living men that I hate, / The dead man that I loved, / The craven man in his seat,” creates a cumulative effect, powerfully conveying the speaker’s deep disdain for these figures.
- Enjambment: The continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next without a grammatical pause creates a flowing, natural rhythm that mirrors the speaker’s stream of thought and the continuous movement of the fisherman. For example, “Although I can see him still.
The freckled man who goes” allows the image of the fisherman to unfold seamlessly, drawing the reader into the speaker’s reverie.
Poetic Devices in “The Fisherman”: Structure and Sound
Beyond its rich literary content, “The Fisherman” is a masterclass in poetic craftsmanship, utilizing specific structural and sonic devices to enhance its impact and meaning.
- Stanza Structure: The poem is structured into three distinct stanzas, each contributing to its narrative and thematic progression. The first stanza, comprising 24 lines, establishes the idealized image of the fisherman and then plunges into the speaker’s disillusionment with contemporary society. The second stanza, 14 lines long, marks a shift in time and perspective, as the speaker begins to actively imagine the fisherman. The final stanza, a concise 10 lines, culminates in the speaker’s artistic resolve. This varied stanza length reflects the shifting focus and emotional journey of the poem, moving from observation to critique, and finally to creative determination.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem predominantly employs a consistent ABAB end rhyme scheme, which lends a musicality and a ballad-like quality to the verse. Examples include “still/hill,” “goes/clothes,” “flies/eyes,” and “began/man.” This regular rhyme scheme creates a sense of order and tradition, perhaps echoing the very values of simplicity and craftsmanship that the fisherman embodies, even as the content expresses profound dissatisfaction.
- Diction: Yeats employs a blend of descriptive, evocative, and sometimes stark language. The diction is generally accessible, yet infused with subtle nuances that convey deep emotion. Words like “freckled,” “gray,” “craven,” “insolent,” and “froth” are carefully chosen to paint vivid pictures and evoke specific feelings, from admiration to contempt. This precise word choice contributes significantly to the poem’s overall tone and thematic clarity.
- Tone: The tone of “The Fisherman” undergoes a significant evolution. It begins with a wistful and melancholic recollection of the fisherman, imbued with a sense of admiration. It then shifts to a critical and despairing tone as the speaker describes the moral and artistic decay of the modern world. Finally, the poem concludes with a determined, yet perhaps uncertain, hope for artistic creation, reflecting the speaker’s resolve to forge an ideal through his craft.
- Rhythm and Meter: The poem largely adheres to an iambic rhythm, often in tetrameter, giving it a steady, almost conversational flow. This consistent rhythm contributes to the poem’s song-like quality, making it memorable and engaging. The regular beat underpins the speaker’s reflections, providing a stable framework for the emotional shifts and intellectual arguments presented.
Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy of “The Fisherman”
“The Fisherman” stands as a powerful testament to William Butler Yeats’s enduring artistic vision and his profound engagement with the cultural landscape of Ireland. Through the evocative figure of the fisherman, the poem articulates a timeless struggle: the artist’s quest for authenticity in a world increasingly swayed by superficiality. It is a poignant critique of societal decline, a celebration of traditional virtues, and ultimately, an affirmation of the transformative power of imagination and art.
The poem’s intricate use of literary and poetic devices, from its vivid imagery and potent symbolism to its carefully crafted rhyme and rhythm, ensures its lasting impact. It invites readers to reflect on their own values, to question the prevailing norms, and to appreciate the profound courage required to create something “as cold and passionate as the dawn.” “The Fisherman” remains a vital guide for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of artistic creation, cultural identity, and the enduring human desire for truth and beauty.