W. H. Auden in his poem 'In Memory of W. B. Yeats' (1939) pays homage to the courage of Yeats and poetry. He also praises the ability of poets to give expression to the darkness and in finding glimmers of light.
'...Follow, poet, follow right
To the bottom of the night,
With your unconstraining voice
Still persuade us to rejoice;
With the farming of a verse
Make a vineyard of the curse,
Sing of human unsuccess
In a rapture of distress;
In the deserts of the heart
Let the healing fountain start,
In the prison of his days
Teach the free man how to praise.'
It's interesting to think about the depths of frustration we can sometimes find ourselves, and discover therein the seeds of rejuvenation.
