Set all your mind upon the steep ascent,
Upon the broken, crumbling battlement,
Upon the breathless starlit air,
'Upon the star that marks the hidden pole;
Fix every wandering thought upon
That quarter where all thought is done:
Who can distinguish darkness from the soul
~The Winding Stair
William Butler Yeats
Photo: Hiking trail at Hoyt Park; Madison, WI
Upon the broken, crumbling battlement,
Upon the breathless starlit air,
'Upon the star that marks the hidden pole;
Fix every wandering thought upon
That quarter where all thought is done:
Who can distinguish darkness from the soul
~The Winding Stair
William Butler Yeats
Photo: Hiking trail at Hoyt Park; Madison, WI
4 comments:
Thank you for sharing this from Yeats! This was exactly what I was looking for! :-)
Cole
Did you climb the stairs? Your mind, was it set upon the stepping up toward the unknown? This is a beautiful poem/photo combination, Heather.
I was just in Madison last week but didn't know about Hoyt Park. Had I, I might have run into you there. I'm sure I would have climbed the stairs.
Lovely poem/picture combo. :)
Jana and Cole~ You're welcome, and thank YOU!
Annie~ Yes, I did climb the stairs. There's a narrow path that runs along the edge of the hill, but this path is situated in such a way that you can't tell what is at the top of the stairs until you're there. There is another path leading down in opposite direction of the stairs that I will have to follow another time.
I'm not surprised you didn't know about Hoyt Park, though, as a lot of Madisonians don't know about it, either - or at least how to get there. It is located on Madison's near west side off Regent Street, very close to Resurrection Cemetery, in a quiet residential area. Perhaps you can see it on your next visit! ;)
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