An Acre Of Grass: A Poem by W B Yeats

Written in his last years, Yeats wishes for “an old man’s frenzy”

William Butler Yeats (1865–1939) wrote poetry throughout his life, with his “Last Poems” (published posthumously in 1939) containing some of his best work. “An Acre of Grass” was included in that collection, having been written in November 1936 when Yeats was aged 71.

Two years previously, Yeats had undergone treatment called the “Steinach Operation”. This was essentially a vasectomy, but it was performed with the aim of giving elderly men a fresh lease of life, both physically and mentally. Although the basis of the operation was dubious, it had a marked effect on Yeats in terms of rejuvenation and a renewed interest in the opposite sex. “An Acre of Grass” is one of his poems that reflects this increased vigour.

The poem

Picture and book remain,
An acre of green grass
For air and exercise,
Now strength of body goes;
Midnight, an old house
Where nothing stirs but a mouse.

My temptation is quiet.
Here at life’s end
Neither loose imagination,
Nor the mill of the mind
Consuming its rag and bone,
Can make the truth known.