William Butler Yeats

To a Squirrel at Kyle-na-no

To a Squirrel at Kyle-na-no - meaning Summary

Gentle Plea to a Wild Creature

The speaker addresses a squirrel, pleading playfully for it to stop fleeing. They question why the animal behaves as if threatened, and reassure it of harmless intentions—wanting only to scratch its head and release it. The short poem captures a gentle wish for connection across species, mixing tenderness with mild reproach, and suggests themes of trust, misunderstanding, and the human desire to domesticate or befriend wildness.

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Come play with me; Why should you run Through the shaking tree As though I'd a gun To strike you dead? When all I would do Is to scratch your head And let you go.

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