Reading: The Sad Shepherd by W. B. Yeats

The Sad Shepherd

by William Butler Yeats

There was a man whom Sorrow named his friend,

And he, of his high comrade Sorrow dreaming,

Went walking with slow steps along the gleaming

And humming sands, where windy surges wend:

And he called loudly to the stars to bend

From their pale thrones and comfort him, but they

Among themselves laugh on and sing alway:

And then the man whom Sorrow named his friend

Cried out, "Dim sea, hear my most piteous story!"

The sea swept on and cried her old cry still,

Rolling along in dreams from hill to hill;

He fled the persecution of her glory

And, in a far-off, gentle valley stopping,

Cried all his story to the dewdrops glistening,

But naught they heard, for they are always listening,

The dewdrops, for the sound of their own dropping.

And then the man whom Sorrow named his friend,

Sought once again the shore, and found a shell,

And thought, "I will my heavy story tell

Till my own words, re-echoing, shall send

Their sadness through a hollow, pearly heart;

And my own tale again for me shall sing,

And my own whispering words be comforting,

And lo! my ancient burden may depart.

Then he sang softly nigh the pearly rim;

But the sad dweller by the sea-ways lone

Changed all he sang to inarticulate moan

Among her wildering whirls, forgetting him.

Here are important words from the poem. Try to guess the meaning first, then check the definitions.

Sorrow
A feeling of deep sadness or distress.

"He felt great sorrow after his friend moved away."
Comrade
A close friend or companion, especially one who shares a difficult experience.

"He considered his fellow soldier to be his most loyal comrade."
Surges
Large waves or swells of water.

"The strong wind created powerful surges that crashed onto the beach."
Wend
To go in a specified direction, often with a meandering or indirect course.

"The river wend through the quiet valley."
Piteous
Deserving or arousing pity; pitifully sad.

"The piteous cries of the lost kitten made me want to help."
Naught
Nothing.

"The student's hard work was for naught when the project was canceled."
Inarticulate
Unable to express oneself clearly or effectively.

"She was so emotional that her words became a kind of inarticulate moan."
Wildering
Confusing or bewildering; disorienting.

"The wildering maze of streets made it difficult to find our way."

Answer these questions about the poem "The Sad Shepherd."

Who is the "man whom Sorrow named his friend"?
To whom does the man first turn to for comfort, and how do they respond?
What is the second thing the man talks to, and what happens?
What happens when the man tries to talk to the dewdrops?
What is the man's final attempt to share his story, and what does he hope will happen?
How does the sea-shell respond to his story?
What is the main theme of this poem?