Poem Analysis - The Results Of Thought

A Lament for Lost Potential and the Power of Thought

William Butler Yeats' "The Results Of Thought" is a poignant reflection on the destructive nature of youth and beauty, contrasted with the potential for intellectual resilience and restoration. The poem begins with a tone of lament and regret, mourning the wasted potential of brilliant young women. However, the mood shifts dramatically in the second stanza, introducing a sense of hope and the power of the speaker's intellect to somehow remedy the damage. The poem explores the themes of beauty's fragility, the redemptive capacity of thought, and the ambiguous power of the mind to grapple with loss and aging.

Beauty's Bitter Glory: A Tragic Beginning

The opening stanza paints a bleak picture of exceptional young women – "acquaintance; companion; / One dear brilliant woman" – who have been tragically "undone" by their youth. Yeats uses strong language like "inhuman / Bitter glory wrecked" to emphasize the destructive force of youthful beauty. It's not simply aging that has harmed them, but rather the inherent pressure and expectations that come with being young, gifted, and beautiful. This "bitter glory" suggests that their beauty, while initially a source of admiration and advantage, ultimately led to their downfall, leaving them emotionally and perhaps even physically broken. The repetition of "All, all" underscores the totality of their ruin, leaving no room for doubt about the poem's initial sense of despair.

The Redemptive Power of Intellect

The second stanza presents a stark contrast to the first. Here, the speaker asserts their ability to "straightened out / Ruin, wreck and wrack." This claim is bold and suggests a profound intellectual achievement. The speaker describes a long and arduous journey – "I toiled long years" – culminating in a "so deep a thought" that enables them to "summon back / All their wholesome strength." This implies that the speaker has found a way to counteract the destructive forces that wrecked these women. The use of "wholesome strength" contrasts sharply with the "bitter glory" of the first stanza, suggesting a return to a state of well-being and vitality, not based on superficial beauty, but on inner strength.

Ambiguous Images: The Limits of Restoration?

The final stanza introduces a series of ambiguous images: "What images are these / That turn dull-eyed away, / Or Shift Time's filthy load, / Straighten aged knees, / Hesitate or stay?" These lines raise questions about the true extent of the speaker's restorative power. Are these "images" representations of the women themselves, altered or somehow healed by the speaker's thought? The verbs "turn," "shift," "straighten," "hesitate," and "stay" suggest a struggle, a resistance to the speaker's efforts. The phrase "Time's filthy load" hints at the inevitability of aging and decay, raising the possibility that the speaker's triumph is only partial or temporary. The final lines, "What heads shake or nod?" further contribute to the ambiguity, leaving the reader to wonder whether these figures are rejecting or accepting the speaker's intervention.

A Meditation on Time, Beauty, and Thought's Potential

In conclusion, "The Results of Thought" is a complex and thought-provoking poem that grapples with the destructive nature of youthful beauty and the potential for intellectual resilience and redemption. While the poem initially laments the tragic fate of brilliant young women, it ultimately explores the ambiguous power of thought to confront loss and potentially restore what has been broken. The images in the final stanza, however, inject a note of uncertainty, suggesting that even the most profound intellectual achievements may be limited in their ability to overcome the relentless forces of time and decay. The poem leaves us pondering the true limits of our ability to undo the past and the enduring power of time's effects on beauty and strength, while also hinting at the potentially transformative role of thought.