Day 76: Robartes and the Dancer

Something really interesting about this poem...I've read a lot of Yeats in my literature classes, but I've never seen him predict his own death before (or at least attempt it). He lived to be an old man and was an author and dramatist that was famous in his own time. Anyway, in this poem it's a love poem, a political poem, a eulogy....a lot of things that usually do not go together. Wait, is he complimenting himself? Read these lines and tell me what you think they say, "No, no, not said, but cried it out--'You have come again, and surely after twenty years it was time to come.' " Apparently Yeats is supposed to have said this "before he died"....but what does it mean? What is supposed to happen after twenty years? And who is Robartes? Yeats name was William Butler, not Robert....Anyway, if you have any thoughts about this, I would love to hear them! Kudos and chocolate chips...:)