William Butler Yeats, commonly known as W.B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, and one of the foremost literary figures of the twentieth century. Born on June 13, 1865, in Dublin, Ireland, Yeats was a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival and an instrumental force behind the establishment of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. His extensive body of work includes poetry, plays, and essays that have had a profound impact on both Irish and world literature.
Yeats’s life was marked by a deep commitment to Irish nationalism and an unwavering pursuit of artistic excellence. From an early age, he was exposed to a rich cultural heritage through his family’s involvement in the arts and his own experiences living between London and Ireland. This duality of experience informed much of his work, where he often sought to reconcile the complexities of modern life with a longing for a more mythic past. As a young man, Yeats became deeply involved in the Irish Literary Revival, a movement that sought to rediscover and celebrate Ireland’s unique cultural identity through literature and the arts.
The poetry of W.B. Yeats is marked by its lyrical beauty and its exploration of both personal and universal themes. In his early work, Yeats drew heavily on Irish mythology and folklore, weaving these ancient tales into his own poetic narratives that spoke to the contemporary concerns of his time. In later years, his work became increasingly interested in spiritualism, mysticism, and the metaphysical aspects of life. Throughout his career, Yeats remained dedicated to honing his craft as a poet, continually refining his style and revising his poems to imbue them with greater depth and meaning.
Yeats’s contributions to the world of drama were no less significant than his work as a poet. As a founder of the Abbey Theatre, he played a critical role in fostering the development of Irish drama and promoting the works of other playwrights. His own plays, including The Countess Cathleen, Cathleen ni Houlihan, and The Land of Heart’s Desire, explore themes of nationalism, spirituality, and the struggle for individual identity in a rapidly changing world.
Throughout his career, W.B. Yeats received numerous accolades and awards for his literary achievements, including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923. The Nobel Committee praised his work as reflecting “the spirit of a whole nation” and noted that Yeats was instrumental in shaping Ireland’s literary identity in the post-colonial era.
W.B. Yeats occupies an essential place in the canon of Irish literature and remains an influential figure for poets and writers worldwide. His body of work, spanning multiple genres and themes, reflects his dedication to Ireland’s cultural heritage and his pursuit of artistic excellence. Through his poetry, plays, and essays, Yeats has left a lasting impression on the literary world and continues to inspire generations of readers and writers to explore the depths of human experience through the written word.
Sailing to Byzantium
I
That is no country for old men. The young
In one another’s arms, birds in the trees,
—Those dying generations—at their song,
The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,
Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long
Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.
Caught in that sensual music all neglect
Monuments of unageing intellect.
II
An aged man is but a paltry thing,
A tattered coat upon a stick, unless
Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing
For every tatter in its mortal dress,
Nor is there singing school but studying
Monuments of its own magnificence;
And therefore I have sailed the seas and come
To the holy city of Byzantium.
III
O sages standing in God’s holy fire
As in the gold mosaic of a wall,
Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre,
And be the singing-masters of my soul.
Consume my heart away; sick with desire
And fastened to a dying animal
It knows not what it is; and gather me
Into the artifice of eternity.
IV
Once out of nature I shall never take
My bodily form from any natural thing,
But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make
Of hammered gold and gold enamelling
To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;
Or set upon a golden bough to sing
To lords and ladies of Byzantium
Of what is past, or passing, or to come.
-W. B. Yeats
Curated by Jennifer
