What did...?

Question

Y.B. Yeats mean when he said;
"What they undertook to do
They brought to pass;
All things hang like a drop of dew
Upon a blade of grass."

-Gratitude To The Unknown Instructors

Answer 1

I'm sure there is historical context that makes this more interesting but it sounds like he is saying "while they acompished thier goals it can be undone quite easily"

For me personally it sounds like the american revolution. Our fore fathers undertook to create a new nation, and they did. But the soveriegncy and freedom of that nation was as precarious as a drop of dew on a blade of glass and required vigilience and sacrifice to maintain.

IMHO that drop fell a long time ago.

Our government now is nothing more than a bunch of self interested egotistical sociopaths of slightly better than average intelligence who take bribes and are ultimately controled by foriegn individuals and corporations (which are again controlled by foriegn individuals).

Answer 2

We are like blades of grass who thirst for understanding. Many come who have something to teach us, though we struggle against it. Somehow they succeed. Thank you.