Explain “An Intellectual Hatred is the Worst.”

What is intellectual hatred? / Explain “An intellectual hatred is the worst.”

In “A Prayer for My Daughter” (1921), W.B. Yeats (1865–1939) shares his hopes and fears for his newborn daughter. He prays for her to have a happy, balanced, and peaceful life. One of his key prayers is that she avoids hatred, especially intellectual hatred. He believes this kind of hatred is the most dangerous.

The line “An intellectual hatred is the worst” means that when people hate because of their ideas or beliefs, it causes big problems. People with this kind of hatred think their opinions are always right. They stop listening to others. They become proud, rude, and angry. This makes them lose kindness and peace.

Yeats shares a story about a woman (Maud Gonne) who ruined her life because of her strong opinions. She lost her happiness because she held on to her anger. Yeats uses this example to show how dangerous this hatred can be. He believes that people should focus on love and understanding instead of pride.

Yeats prays his daughter will not have this kind of hatred. He wants her to be gentle and kind to everyone. He believes real happiness comes from love and peace, not from fighting or arguing. This prayer reminds us that life becomes better when we choose kindness over anger and hate.