"He Wishes For the Cloths of Heaven" by W.B. Yeats notes

Theme:
In this short sweet lyric poem, the poet W.B Yeats expresses his deep love for Maud Gonne. Yeats fell madly in love with Maud Gonne, and he was in love with her, all his life. However, it was not a happy love story for Yeats.
In this beautiful poem, Yeats points out that if he had all the riches (money) in the world
“Had I the heaven’s embroidered cloths”
He would give them to her, because he loves her so much.
“I would spread the cloths under your feet”
However, Yeats points out to his beloved that he is just a poor poet, who does not have any material wealth.
“But I being poor”
Because he is not rich, he offers to give her, his dreams instead.
“Have only my dreams”
In many ways, giving her his dreams,
“I have spread my dreams under your feet”
Is far more significant, more important than giving her material wealth, or gifts. In giving her his dreams, he is giving her a very IMPORTANT PART OF HIMSELF. Therefore, he is showing how much in love she is.
“I have spread my dreams under your feet”
I think it is more important that Yeats is prepared to give his most important wishes, hopes(dreams) to Maud Gonne.
It is worth noting that W.B Yeats is also afraid that Maud Gonne may hurt him, or reject his offer.
“Tread softly because you tread on my dreams”
He warns her to treat him, and his dreams with care, because he realises she has the power to hurt him.
This is interesting because we know that Maud Gonne did not return Yeats’ love. She did not feel the same way about him.
This is called UNREQUITED LOVE (one person doesn’t return the love). Perhaps Yeats was aware of this, when he wrote this love poem.
In the last line of the poem, he is not very confident about this love.

Tone/Mood:
The poem is very emotional and Yeats expresses his love.
At the opening of this short lyric, Yeats is in a wishful mood. He wishes (hopes) that he had the ‘heaven’s embroidered’ cloth.
His tone changes to one of acceptance, when he realises that he is “only poor” and could never afford to give her anything expensive.
“But I being poor”
The poet is in a very loving/romantic mood when he offers to
“Spread my dreams under your feet”
His tone dramatically changes again in the final line, when he becomes afraid, insecure, and warns her, not to treat him badly.
“Tread softly because you tread on my dreams”
He accepts that he is very much in love but that she can hurt him.

Metaphor:
The title of this poem, and indeed the image of “heaven’s embroidered cloths” is a metaphor for the wealth, material riches of this world, money, gifts.

Extended Metaphor:
The metaphor of the cloths is spread throughout the poem.
Line 1 - “cloths”
Line 3 - “dark cloths”
Line 5 - “spread the cloths”
Line 7 - “spread my dreams”

Visual Imagery:
The poem is rich in vibrant visual imagery. The poet creates a beautiful vivid picture of the “embroidered cloths”
He uses colour, light and shade to suggest its brilliance. He refers to;
“golden and silver light”
“blue, dim, dark cloths”
“night, light, half-light”
End Of Line Rhyme:
The poet creates a very effective and striking end of line rhyme with repetition of the SAME WORDS at the end of the lines
Line 1 & 3 - “cloths”
Line 2 & 4 - “lights”
Line 5 & 7 - “feet”
Line 6 & 8 - “dreams”

Internal Rhyme:
The poet uses internal rhyme and assonance (vowel rhyme) very strikingly in the line,
“Of night, light, and the half light”

Run On Lines:
Line 3 runs very effectively into line 4.

Alliteration:
“dim” “dark” (D sound)
“softly” “dreams” (S sound)

Assonance:
There is a dominant use of a broad ‘o’ sound throughout the poem.
“cloths” “of” “poor” “only” “softly”
This slows down the rhythm of the poem.
Also ‘I’ sounds - “night” “light” “I”