Quote by William Butler Yeats
The years like great black oxen tread the world, and God the herdsman treads them on behind, and I am broken by their passing feet.
Summary
This quote expresses the notion that time moves forward relentlessly, symbolized by the imagery of great black oxen being herded by God. The speaker feels overwhelmed and damaged by the relentless passage of time, suggesting a sense of loss, vulnerability, and the inability to control or resist the passage of time. The quote evokes a melancholic reflection on the fleeting nature of human existence and our limited power in the face of temporal progression.