To Be Carved on a Stone at Thoor Ballylee

To Be Carved on a Stone at Thoor Ballylee - fact Summary

Restoration Inscribed for Posterity

The short poem records Yeats’s personal act of restoring the Norman tower Thoor Ballylee for his wife George, noting materials used and craftspeople involved. It reads like an inscription asserting authorship and domestic devotion while admitting inevitable decay. The closing line expresses a wish that these words outlast the building. The poem therefore blends memorial intention with humble craftsmanship and acceptance of impermanence.