Brown Penny Poem by William Butler Yeats
Brown Penny
I WHISPERED, 'I am too young,'
And then, 'I am old enough';
Wherefore I threw a penny
To find out if I might love.
'Go and love, go and love, young man,
If the lady be young and fair.'
Ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny,
I am looped in the loops of her hair.
O love is the crooked thing,
There is nobody wise enough
To find out all that is in it,
For he would be thinking of love
Till the stars had run away
And the shadows eaten the moon.
Ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny,
One cannot begin it too soon.
'Brown Penny' is performed/read aloud in the new movie Must Love Dogs. It is recited by the father at a family gathering, but he seemed to intend it specifically for his daughter (the main character) who was searching for love (with much frustration) . This poem is beautiful in many ways. Unfortunately, it is not listed in most anthologies that include Yeats.
i loved Must Love Dogs. it was hillarious. this poem is veryenlightning to the heart and soul. i love this poem
A beautiful poem and read with such feeling for the benefit of his daughter.
I like to think of Penny as a girl rather than a coin. Mostly I like what it does to the line " wherefore I threw a Penny, to find out if I might love." :)
This poem was quoted frequently on the soap opera One Life to Live in the 90s I believe.
'Go and love, go and love, young man, If the lady be young and fair.' Ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny, I am looped in the loops of her hair. - in Italian: ' Va' e ama.. va' e ama.. ragazzo, Se la ragazza è giovane e bella '. Ah, monetina.. monetina bronzea.. monetina bronzea, Sono rimasto imbrigliato nelle anse dei suoi capelli.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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1/15/2025 5:49:56 PM # 1.0.0
lovely, lovely poem. i heard it first from christopher plummer in Must Love Dogs.