Whether they knew or not, Goldsmith and Burke, Swift and the Bishop of Cloyne All hated Whiggery; but what is Whiggery? A levelling, rancorous, rational sort of mind That never looked out of the eye of a saint Or out of drunkard's eye.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Yeats critiques Whiggery as a narrow, rational mindset lacking spiritual or human depth.
- In plain terms
- Whiggery is a cold, leveling way of thinking that ignores both saints and drunkards.
- What can you take from it?
- Avoid ideologies that reduce human complexity to cold rationality.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What defines a narrow mindset?
- How do we balance reason and spirit?
Another view
The quote relies on historical context about Whiggery that modern readers may lack.
More from William Butler Yeats
Only God, my dear, Could love you for yourself alone And not your yellow hair.
Permalink to quote #127 Whatever flames upon the night Man's own resinous heart has fed.
Permalink to quote #125 Swift has sailed into his rest; Savage indignation there Cannot lacerate his breast. Imitate him if you dare, World-besotted traveller; he Served human liberty.
Permalink to quote #128
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