William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) The Early Twentieth Century
Ross ReidStudent, University of Wisconsin-Rock County Life
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright during the Early Twentieth Century. He was born on June 13, 1865 in Dublin, Ireland and was educated in Dublin and London and spent his summers in western Ireland. His dad, John Butler Yeats, was a lawyer who later became a Pre-Raphaelite painter so he was constantly moving from Ireland to London. William Yeats studied at the Metropolitan School of Art, in Dublin, and that is where he met George Russell. Throughout his life he was interested in reincarnation, communication with the dead, and anything that had to do with the supernatural.
In 1885, Yeats published his first works and by 1887 he devoted his life to writing. Not long after that, he met the love of his life, Maud Gonne. He ended up proposing multiple times to her, but she rejected him every time. She ended up marrying Yeats’ enemy, John MacBride. He we devastated by this and these events inspired a lot of his works. A short poem he wrote, “No Second Troy,” was all about Gonne, where he compared her to Helen of Troy. He was also inspired by Gonne to join the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a revolutionary organization. Maud Gonne sparked an interested in Irish politics for Yeats.
Yeats moved back to Ireland for good in 1896 and that was when he was in his prime. He joined the Irish Revolution because Maud Gonne had influenced him too. He also reformed the Irish Literary Society and was one of the founders of the Irish Literary Theatre, which eventually became the Abbey Theatre. He believed that through poems and writing you could not only comment on the current events, but you also can critique. That was when he wrote “Easter 1916.” “Easter 1916” is a poem that Yeats wrote that was all about the uprising Irish nationalists and how he did not approve of the violence. That was his way of commenting on the situation that was going on and also to give his opinion on how he thought it should have went about. At 51 years of age, Yeats married Georgie Hyde-Lees, who was twenty-five, in 1917. Yeats then died on January 28, 1939. Major Works
"No Second Troy" 1910
WHY should I blame her that she filled my days With misery, or that she would of late Have taught to ignorant men most violent ways, Or hurled the little streets upon the great. Had they but courage equal to desire? What could have made her peaceful with a mind That nobleness made simple as a fire, With beauty like a tightened bow, a kind That is not natural in an age like this, Being high and solitary and most stern? Why, what could she have done, being what she is? Was there another Troy for her to burn?
"Easter 1916" 1916
"The Second Coming" 1920
Sources
Monographs
1. Vendler, Helen. "Our Secret Discipline: Yeats and Lyric Form" 2007. 12, May 2011
This is about goes into detail about Yeat's writing style. More specifically the form he used in his poems and his lyrical content. Yeats was mainly known for his use of symbols and themes. This would be very helpful in research and in fact, that was the main purpose of writing it.
2. McCormack, W. J. (2005). "Blood Kindred: W.B. The Life, The Death, The Politics." 2005. 12, May 2011 This is everything about how William Butler Yeats became William Butler Yeats. It makes an arguement that Yeats was a fascist, even if he didn't act like he was. It is a biography about his life, but it is not your typical biography, it is more about the historical events that formed him into a person. It helps see his views when it came to politics and that is very helpful when trying to do research about William Butler Yeats.
Articles
1. McCarthy, Bernadette. “William Butler Yeats: The Poet In The School Of Art.” 2008. Oxford University Press. 12, May 2011.
This article is about Yeats’ time in art school at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art. Through learning about art, Yeats was able to be creative and used various art techniques. Because of this, it helped him in writing with the use of imagery and he was able to take any object and use it effectively in his writings. The art school really helped develop Yeats as a writer.
2. Harris, Susan Cannon. “Deep-Rooted Things: Empire and Nation in the Poetry and Drama of William Butler Yeats.” 2006. University of Notre Dame Press. 12 May 2011.
This article explores how Yeats was a firm believer on fate instead of religion. He was able to take politics, religion, beliefs, and anything else and put it all together and connect it with current events. Yeats helped people see a different perspective of the events and was able to do this through writing.
3. Devine, Brian. “Yeats, The Master of Sound: An Investigation of the Technical and Aural Achievements of William Butler Yeats.” 2006. Oxford University Press. 12 May 2011. This article brings out another great ability Yeats had when it came to writing. Yeats was great at capturing sound in a poem. Sound and imagery are very important in writing poems and he was able to do both great. With those qualities and his ability to symbolize and see current events puts Yeats near the top of the list of great poets.
2. The Literature Network. "William Butler Yeats." 2000-2011. Jalic Inc. http://www.online-literature.com/yeats/ 12. May 2011. Chronology of Life and Major Works
1865- Born in Dublin Ireland 1885- Published first works in the Dublin University Review 1887- Devoted himself to writing 1889- Met the love of his life, Maud Gonne
Maud Gonne
1888- Published "Irish Legends and Tales" with George Russell and Douglas Hyde 1896- Permanently moved back to Ireland 1899- Police Report stated that Yeats was "more or less revolutionary" 1903- Maud Gonne married enemy, Major John MacBride 1910- Published "No Second Troy" 1916- Published "Easter 1916" 1917- Married Georgie Hyde-Lee 1920- Published "Second Coming" 1923- Won Nobel Prize in Literature 1925- Published "A Vision" a book about Marriage Therapy 1932- Founded Irish Academy of Letters 1936- Published "The Oxford Book of Verse" 1938- Published "New Poems" 1939- Died on January 28 Study Questions "The Second Coming"
1. How does Yeats use imagery?
2. Why does Yeats write about the second coming, since he was an aetheist?
3. What real-life events inspired Yeats to write this poem?
4. How does this poem fit in with his theory of fate determines the future?
5. What is Yeats trying to symbolize about the slouching beast going towards Bethlehem?
William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) The Early Twentieth Century
Life
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright during the Early Twentieth Century. He was born on June 13, 1865 in Dublin, Ireland and was educated in Dublin and London and spent his summers in western Ireland. His dad, John Butler Yeats, was a lawyer who later became a Pre-Raphaelite painter so he was constantly moving from Ireland to London. William Yeats studied at the Metropolitan School of Art, in Dublin, and that is where he met George Russell. Throughout his life he was interested in reincarnation, communication with the dead, and anything that had to do with the supernatural.
In 1885, Yeats published his first works and by 1887 he devoted his life to writing. Not long after that, he met the love of his life, Maud Gonne. He ended up proposing multiple times to her, but she rejected him every time. She ended up marrying Yeats’ enemy, John MacBride. He we devastated by this and these events inspired a lot of his works. A short poem he wrote, “No Second Troy,” was all about Gonne, where he compared her to Helen of Troy. He was also inspired by Gonne to join the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a revolutionary organization. Maud Gonne sparked an interested in Irish politics for Yeats.
Yeats moved back to Ireland for good in 1896 and that was when he was in his prime. He joined the Irish Revolution because Maud Gonne had influenced him too. He also reformed the Irish Literary Society and was one of the founders of the Irish Literary Theatre, which eventually became the Abbey Theatre. He believed that through poems and writing you could not only comment on the current events, but you also can critique. That was when he wrote “Easter 1916.” “Easter 1916” is a poem that Yeats wrote that was all about the uprising Irish nationalists and how he did not approve of the violence. That was his way of commenting on the situation that was going on and also to give his opinion on how he thought it should have went about. At 51 years of age, Yeats married Georgie Hyde-Lees, who was twenty-five, in 1917. Yeats then died on January 28, 1939.
Major Works
"No Second Troy" 1910
WHY should I blame her that she filled my days
With misery, or that she would of late
Have taught to ignorant men most violent ways,
Or hurled the little streets upon the great.
Had they but courage equal to desire?
What could have made her peaceful with a mind
That nobleness made simple as a fire,
With beauty like a tightened bow, a kind
That is not natural in an age like this,
Being high and solitary and most stern?
Why, what could she have done, being what she is?
Was there another Troy for her to burn?
Sources
Monographs
1. Vendler, Helen. "Our Secret Discipline: Yeats and Lyric Form" 2007. 12, May 2011
This is about goes into detail about Yeat's writing style. More specifically the form he used in his poems and his lyrical content. Yeats was mainly known for his use of symbols and themes. This would be very helpful in research and in fact, that was the main purpose of writing it.
2. McCormack, W. J. (2005). "Blood Kindred: W.B. The Life, The Death, The Politics." 2005. 12, May 2011
This is everything about how William Butler Yeats became William Butler Yeats. It makes an arguement that Yeats was a fascist, even if he didn't act like he was. It is a biography about his life, but it is not your typical biography, it is more about the historical events that formed him into a person. It helps see his views when it came to politics and that is very helpful when trying to do research about William Butler Yeats.
Articles
1. McCarthy, Bernadette. “William Butler Yeats: The Poet In The School Of Art.” 2008. Oxford University Press. 12, May 2011.
This article is about Yeats’ time in art school at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art. Through learning about art, Yeats was able to be creative and used various art techniques. Because of this, it helped him in writing with the use of imagery and he was able to take any object and use it effectively in his writings. The art school really helped develop Yeats as a writer.
2. Harris, Susan Cannon. “Deep-Rooted Things: Empire and Nation in the Poetry and Drama of William Butler Yeats.” 2006. University of Notre Dame Press. 12 May 2011.
This article explores how Yeats was a firm believer on fate instead of religion. He was able to take politics, religion, beliefs, and anything else and put it all together and connect it with current events. Yeats helped people see a different perspective of the events and was able to do this through writing.
3. Devine, Brian. “Yeats, The Master of Sound: An Investigation of the Technical and Aural Achievements of William Butler Yeats.” 2006. Oxford University Press. 12 May 2011.
This article brings out another great ability Yeats had when it came to writing. Yeats was great at capturing sound in a poem. Sound and imagery are very important in writing poems and he was able to do both great. With those qualities and his ability to symbolize and see current events puts Yeats near the top of the list of great poets.
Websites
1. Famous Poets. “William Butler Yeats Biography.” 2006-2010. http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/william_butler_yeats/biography/ 10. May 2011.
2. The Literature Network. "William Butler Yeats." 2000-2011. Jalic Inc. http://www.online-literature.com/yeats/ 12. May 2011.
Chronology of Life and Major Works
1865- Born in Dublin Ireland
1885- Published first works in the Dublin University Review
1887- Devoted himself to writing
1889- Met the love of his life, Maud Gonne
1888- Published "Irish Legends and Tales" with George Russell and Douglas Hyde
1896- Permanently moved back to Ireland
1899- Police Report stated that Yeats was "more or less revolutionary"
1903- Maud Gonne married enemy, Major John MacBride
1910- Published "No Second Troy"
1916- Published "Easter 1916"
1917- Married Georgie Hyde-Lee
1920- Published "Second Coming"
1923- Won Nobel Prize in Literature
1925- Published "A Vision" a book about Marriage Therapy
1932- Founded Irish Academy of Letters
1936- Published "The Oxford Book of Verse"
1938- Published "New Poems"
1939- Died on January 28
Study Questions
"The Second Coming"
1. How does Yeats use imagery?
2. Why does Yeats write about the second coming, since he was an aetheist?
3. What real-life events inspired Yeats to write this poem?
4. How does this poem fit in with his theory of fate determines the future?
5. What is Yeats trying to symbolize about the slouching beast going towards Bethlehem?