Old Tom Again
Things out of perfection sail, And all their swelling canvas wear, Nor shall the self-begotten fail Though fantastic men suppose Building-yard and stormy shore, Winding-sheet and swaddling - clothes.
existence
lyric poem
austere
Old Tom Again - meaning Summary
Resilience of Imperfect Things
Yeats presents a compact meditation on endurance and the value of imperfect creation. Things that are not ‘‘perfect’’ still set sail and bear their canvas; what is "self-begotten" will endure despite critics. Juxtaposed images—building-yard and stormy shore, winding-sheet and swaddling-clothes—link birth, labor, decay and journey, suggesting that life’s making and unmaking are ongoing processes that persist beyond ideal standards.
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