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Context. This poem was motivated by the naive and innocent picture of fairies portrayed in Yeats' poem The Stolen Child. The subject here is far more ominous and sinister; unfortunately, it is also very real. Among the tallest rushes There lies a secret boat With water lapping at its bow And oars to row it out. We fairies come at nighttime And steal out from the shore We take along some little folk To the far side of the lake. Without a moon, into the dark We cut the waves a-rowing And on the rocks there is a ring To tie our unseen boat. And then we'll take you by the hand Into a darkened cave. The moss is green and is a quilt For you to softly lie. And there we'll show you stolen fruits We've hidden under stones. And drink with you a honeyed cup To lull you into sleep. The dark and damp of this cold cave Where you were brought alone Will haunt you now through all your life For what was stolen there. The dreaded touch of fairies May now have ceased to be But that's a thrall which will remain Forever in the mind. The day it now has followed night But leaves you still with weeping The world beyond the fairies Won't want to understand. |
