Notes for the NCERT Class 10 English Poem ‘For Anne Gregory’ are available here. They encompass a summary, themes, the central idea, the poem’s message, key points, and the poetic devices employed in the poem. For additional study resources in English for CBSE Class 10, click here.
Notes on Poem ‘For Anne Gregory’
Poem: For Anne Gregory
“NEVER shall a young man,
Thrown into despair
By those great honey-coloured
Ramparts at your ear,
Love you for yourself alone
And not your yellow hair.’“But I can get a hair-dye
And set such colour there,
Brown, or black, or carrot,
That young men in despair
May love me for myself alone
And not my yellow hair.’“I heard an old religious man
But yesternight declare
That he had found a text to prove
That only God, my dear,
Could love you for yourself alone
And not your yellow hair.”– W. B. Yeats
Summary of ‘For Anne Gregory’ Poem
The poem “For Anne Gregory” by William Butler Yeats is a conversation between a young man and Anne Gregory, addressing the theme of superficial versus genuine love. The young man expresses his belief that men are often attracted to Anne because of her physical beauty, particularly her golden hair, and not for her inner qualities. Anne Gregory responds by saying that she could dye her hair a different color, suggesting that men might then love her for her true self instead of her looks.
In the final stanza, the speaker refers to the words of an old religious man, who claims that only God can truly love a person for who they are inside, without being swayed by their outward appearance. This highlights the deeper truth that human love often focuses on physical traits, while divine love is pure and unconditional. The poem contrasts the superficial nature of human affection with the more profound, inner love that only God can offer.
The poem emphasizes the importance of inner beauty and suggests that true love should go beyond mere physical attraction.
Vocabulary Notes
Here’s a vocabulary for the poem “For Anne Gregory” by William Butler Yeats. These vocabulary words are essential for understanding the deeper meaning of the poem and how physical appearance contrasts with inner qualities.
- Honey-coloured:
- Meaning: A rich, golden-yellow color, often associated with sweetness or warmth.
- Usage: Refers to Anne Gregory’s beautiful golden hair.
- Ramparts:
- Meaning: Defensive walls or barriers, often around a castle or fort.
- Usage: The speaker uses this word metaphorically to describe Anne’s hair as a barrier that keeps (hidden) men from seeing her true self.
- Thrown into despair:
- Meaning: To feel deep sadness or hopelessness.
- Usage: Describes how young men feel hopeless because they are captivated by Anne’s beauty and cannot look beyond it. They only fall in love with Anne’s beauty and not her inner self.
- Despair:
- Meaning: A state of hopelessness.
- Usage: The speaker says men experience this because of their inability to love Anne for her inner qualities.
- Carrot:
- Meaning: A reference to the orange-red color, usually of a carrot.
- Usage: Anne suggests she could dye her hair this color to change her appearance.
- For yourself alone:
- Meaning: To love someone for their true self, without regard for appearance.
- Usage: Refers to the ideal of loving someone for who they really are (on the inside), not just their looks (outward apperance).
- Yeastrnight:
- Meaning: Last night.
- Usage: The speaker refers to something said the previous night.
- Religious man:
- Meaning: A person devoted to religious beliefs or practices.
- Usage: The speaker refers to a religious man who claims only God can love a person for their true self.
Theme of ‘For Anne Gregory’ Poem
The theme of “For Anne Gregory” revolves around the superficiality of human love versus the purity of divine love. The poem explores how people, especially men, often focus on physical beauty—symbolized by Anne Gregory’s golden hair—rather than appreciating inner qualities. While Anne believes that changing her appearance might lead to genuine affection, the poem suggests that only God can truly love a person for who they are, without being influenced by outer beauty. The contrast between physical attraction and unconditional love is central to the poem’s message.
Moral or Message of the Poem ‘For Anne Gregory’
The moral or message of the poem “For Anne Gregory” is that true love should be based on a person’s inner qualities and not their physical appearance. The poem suggests that while people often fall in love with outward beauty, such as Anne Gregory’s golden hair, real love goes beyond superficial traits. It also emphasizes that only God can love someone unconditionally for their true self, without being influenced by appearance. The poem encourages the reader to look past external beauty and value the inner character of a person.
Central Idea of “For Anne Gregory’
The central idea of the poem “For Anne Gregory” by William Butler Yeats revolves around the distinction between superficial love based on physical beauty and true love that appreciates inner qualities. The poem critiques the tendency of people, particularly men, to fall in love with appearances—symbolized by Anne’s golden hair—while suggesting that genuine affection should come from recognizing and valuing a person’s inner self.
Moreover, the poem conveys that only divine love, exemplified by God, can see and love a person for who they truly are, free from the influences of physical attributes. This idea challenges the reader to reflect on the nature of love and the importance of looking beyond superficial traits to find deeper connections with others.
Tone Shift in the Poem
The poem “For Anne Gregory” by William Butler Yeats experiences several subtle tone shifts as the conversation unfolds between the speaker and Anne Gregory. Here’s a breakdown of these shifts:
1. First Stanza (Reflective and Somber):
- The tone is reflective and slightly cynical. The speaker, likely a young man, expresses disappointment and despair over the fact that men fall in love with Anne’s physical beauty, specifically her golden hair, rather than her inner self. The tone implies that this is an unfortunate but common truth about human nature.
- Words like “despair” and the idea that men won’t “love you for yourself alone” give this stanza a somber and almost resigned tone, hinting at the superficial nature of love.
2. Second Stanza (Playful and Hopeful):
- In this stanza, the tone shifts to a light-hearted and playful mood as Anne Gregory responds. She is confident, suggesting that she could dye her hair any color to manipulate men’s perception of her. There’s a sense of youthful optimism in her belief that a simple change in appearance could lead men to love her for who she really is.
- The playful mention of different hair colors like “brown, or black, or carrot” adds a slightly whimsical tone to this section, reflecting Anne’s attempt to find a solution to the problem posed in the first stanza.
3. Third Stanza (Philosophical and Solemn):
- The final stanza shifts to a more philosophical and serious tone. The speaker introduces the voice of an “old religious man” to convey a deeper truth: that only God can love a person for their true self, beyond outward appearance. This gives the stanza a solemn and contemplative feel.
- The reference to God and divine love contrasts sharply with the light-heartedness of the second stanza, adding gravity to the conversation and leaving the reader with a sense of the complexity of human and divine love.
Overall Tone Shifts:
- The poem moves from somber reflection on superficial love, to a playful and almost hopeful response, and then concludes with a serious, contemplative message about the nature of true love. These shifts help to underline the poem’s exploration of the tensions between outer beauty and inner worth.
Key Points of the Poem ‘For Anne Gregory’
Here are the key points of the poem “For Anne Gregory” by William Butler Yeats. These points capture the essence of the poem’s message and its exploration of love and beauty.
- Conversation Format: The poem is structured as a dialogue between a young man and Anne Gregory, highlighting their differing views on love and appearance.
- Superficial Love: The poem highlights how people, especially men, often focus on physical appearance—specifically Anne Gregory’s golden hair—when falling in love, rather than valuing inner qualities.
- Anne’s Response: Anne Gregory responds by suggesting that she could dye her hair to change her appearance, believing this might lead to someone loving her for who she truly is, not just her beauty.
- Divine Love: The speaker brings up a religious perspective, stating that only God can love someone for their true self, without being influenced by external beauty.
- Theme of Inner vs Outer Beauty: The poem contrasts the superficiality of human love, which is often based on outer beauty, with the pure, unconditional love of God, which sees beyond physical appearance.
- Philosophical Reflection: It ends with a deeper reflection on the nature of true love, suggesting that human love may be flawed and conditional, while divine love is pure and sees the real person.
- Tone Shifts: The poem experiences shifts in tone, moving from reflective and somber to playful and hopeful, and finally to a philosophical and solemn conclusion.
- Message of the Poem: The central message highlights the importance of valuing inner qualities over outer appearance in relationships and underscores the notion of unconditional love from a divine perspective.
Poetic Devices in ‘For Anne Gregory’
Major Poetic Devices used in the poem “For Anne Gregory’ are given below. These poetic devices enhance the meaning and emotional resonance of the poem, enriching the reader’s experience and understanding.
1. Rhyme Scheme: The rhyme scheme of the poem is abcbdb.
2. Dialogue: The conversational style between the young man and Anne adds a dynamic element, making the poem feel more intimate and relatable.
3. Tone: The tone shifts from despair to hope and then to philosophical contemplation, reflecting the complexities of love and attraction.
4. Apostrophe: The poem is a direct address to Anne Gregory, as the speaker talks to her throughout the poem.
5. Enjambment: Several lines flow into the next without punctuation, creating a continuous, flowing rhythm. For example:
“Never shall a young man, Thrown into despair By those great honey-coloured…”
6. Metaphor: “Honey-coloured ramparts at your ear”: Anne Gregory’s hair is metaphorically described as “ramparts,” comparing her golden hair to a barrier that prevents men from seeing her true self.
7. Alliteration: Some examples are given below:
- Love you for yourself alone
- ‘your yellow hair’
- And set such colour there
- Brown, or black
8. Imagery: The poem evokes imagery.
- “Honey-coloured ramparts”: Evokes a vivid picture of Anne’s golden hair.
- “Brown, or black, or carrot”: Creates a visual image of different hair colors, helping the reader imagine her change in appearance.
9. Repetition:
- “Love you for yourself alone”: This phrase is repeated in different stanzas, emphasizing the theme of being loved for one’s inner qualities.
- The phrase ‘yellow hair’ has been repeated many times.
- The word ‘despair’ repeated in 1st and 2nd stanza
10. Irony: Anne Gregory suggests that changing her hair color might lead men to love her for her true self, but it is ironic because she is still focusing on her appearance to achieve that.
11. Allusion: “An old religious man”: A subtle reference to religious wisdom, possibly alluding to spiritual teachings about God’s unconditional love.
12. Symbolism: “Only God”: Represents the idea of pure, unconditional love, contrasting with human love that is often based on physical attraction.
13. Anaphora: Repeating a word or phrase at the beginning of sentences or clauses that follow each other, done for emphasis
In the 3rd stanza – the second and third line
That he had found a text to prove
That only God, my dear,
14. Refrain: A refrain is a phrase or line that is repeated at intervals throughout a poem, often for emphasis or thematic reinforcement.
In this poem, the line: “Love you for yourself alone / And not your yellow hair” (or variations of this phrase)
- “Love you for yourself alone” appears in both the first and the third stanzas.
- “And not your yellow hair” repeated in the last line of every stanza.
This repetition emphasizes the central idea of the poem—that true love should be based on a person’s inner qualities, not their outward appearance. The refrain reinforces the speaker’s concern about the superficial nature of human love and contrasts it with deeper, more meaningful affection.
15. Contrast: The contrast between human love (which is conditional and often superficial) and divine love (which is unconditional and profound) emphasizes the poem’s central theme.
