William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet born in 1865 in Dublin. He came from a Protestant family, with his father studying law but later becoming an artist. Yeats was influenced by his father to pursue artistic talents. Unlike his father, Yeats succeeded as a poet and became famous. The poem describes the poet's wish to spread the beautiful cloths of heaven under his beloved's feet, but since he is poor, he can only offer his dreams instead and requests that she tread softly on them.

1. William Butler Yeats
1865–1939

2. William ButlerYeats (1865-1939) was born of a Protestant family in
Dublin on June 13, 1865. His father studied for the bar, practiced
law briefly, and turned to art as his life-long profession. He took up
residence in London as a painter, but never succeeded in making
enough money to fully support his family. William's mother came
from a well-to-do family in Sligo. William spent many childhood
days at Sligo and loved the natural countryside beauty. William
was undoubtedly influenched by his father to pursue his artistic
talents above all else, even family and economic concerns.William
was a writer of verse since his teenage years. He lived, thought, and
worked as a poet all his life. Unlike his father who struggled to
establish himself as a professional painter,William succeeded in
fame and fortune as a poet.William ButlerYeats died onJanuary 28.
1939.

3. HAD I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

4. In lines 1-5 the speaker is saying, “If I had the clouds in the sky,
the colors of the sun, moon, and stars, and all behind and in
front of them, I’d put them under you, because you mean more
to me they would.”
Or, he may mean (metaphorically) that if he had worldly
wealth, he would support the one he loves with the best he has
— or, that if he had the power as a poet to capture the glories of
the world in the “dreams” he spins, he would dedicate his
achievement to the beloved.

5. “Enwrought with golden and silver light,
”The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Here the speaker is describing wealth of which he does not
have. “En wrought with golden and silver light” symbolizes
wealth. He uses blue which symbolizes royalty.
AlthoughYeats could be referencing England’s imperial rule of Ireland.
The gold, silver and blue could be a juxtaposition of Ireland and England.
Ireland being known for it rough history, harsh landscape, and hearty
people.Oppose to England, whom is famous for it’s indolent royalty,
prestige , and power.

6. But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
He is poor, so all he has to his name are his dreams. He will still
give his effort to support his loved one by sharing his delicate
dreams with them.
The speaker is hinting at the very real possibility that he’ll be
hurt by the person he loves, but making himself vulnerable to
them nonetheless.
The “you” here may well be Maud Gonne,Yeats' onetime lover
and subject of many of his poems. Gonne turned down
numerous marriage proposals fromYeats, and the two
maintained a tense friendship for decades

7. the poet had the beautifully decorated cloths of heaven made with
golden, silver and dark light he would spread them under his
beloved’s path. But he is poor and can’t give her beautiful cloths.
He can give her only his dreams.Therefore he has spread his
dreams on her way. And he requests her to walk softly because his
dreams may be broken easily.The poet wishes he had the cloths of
heaven.
William ButlerYeats
He would decorate them with golden and silver light. He would
change night and the light and the half-light into blue, din, and
dark color for her cloths. And he would spread the cloths on her
way. But he has only his dreams, so he requests her to tread softly
on his fragile dreams.This poem can be divided into three parts:
the wish, the offer and the request

8. The poem can be divided into three parts: the wish, the offer, and the
request if we have close observation to the poem.The first five lines of
the poem “Had I…..your feet; can be counted as the wish of the poet.
Here the poet wishes he had the cloths of heaven. He would decorate
them with golden and silver light. He would change night and the light
and the half-light in blue, dim and dark colors for her clothes.And he
would spread the cloths on her way. Sixth and seventh line of the poem;
But I….Your feet; can be taken as an offer made by the poet to his
beloved. He offers his sweet and tender dreams under her feet, since he is
a poor man.The final line of the poem;Tread…. dreams; can be taken as a
humble request to put her feet on his dreams as they are equally good as
heavens’ embellished cloths. He warns her to be careful while walking
because his dreams are more fragile than heavenly cloths