W. B. Yeats, Irish poet and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1865)

William Butler Yeats (13 June 1865 – 28 January 1939) stands as one of the foremost and most influential figures in 20th-century literature. This eminent Irish poet, dramatist, and writer was a central architect and driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival, a significant cultural movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries aimed at fostering a unique Irish national literature, often drawing inspiration from Celtic mythology and folklore, and establishing a cultural identity distinct from British influences. His profound commitment to this vision led him to become a foundational pillar of the Irish literary establishment, most notably helping to co-found the internationally renowned Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1904, which rapidly became Ireland’s national theatre and a vital stage for new Irish dramatic works. Beyond his literary accomplishments, Yeats also played an active role in the political life of the newly independent nation, serving two distinguished terms as a Senator of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1928, demonstrating his dedication to both the cultural and political future of Ireland.

Born on June 13, 1865, in Sandymount, County Dublin, Yeats came from a Protestant family of Anglo-Irish descent, a heritage that profoundly shaped his complex perspective on Irish identity and nationalism. His formative years were divided between education in Dublin and London, though he frequently spent cherished childhood holidays immersed in the evocative landscapes of County Sligo. It was during these impressionable early years that he developed a deep and enduring fascination with Irish legends, folklore, and the esoteric world of the occult. These mystical and mythological topics became prominent themes in the first phase of his extensive body of work, a period lasting roughly from his student days at the Metropolitan School of Art in Dublin (now the National College of Art and Design) until the turn of the 20th century. His earliest significant volume of verse, The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems, published in 1889, showcased slow-paced and richly lyrical poems that overtly displayed debts to the classical forms of Edmund Spenser, the romantic sensibility of Percy Bysshe Shelley, and the highly aesthetic and symbolic imagery favored by the poets of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

The advent of the 20th century marked a notable transformation in Yeats’s poetic output. From approximately 1900 onwards, his poetry evolved to become more physical, realistic, and increasingly politicised, reflecting his deepening engagement with the tumultuous political landscape of Ireland and his personal experiences. While he gradually moved away from some of the explicit transcendental beliefs and spiritualism of his youth, he remained profoundly preoccupied with certain philosophical elements, including his complex cyclical theories of life and history, famously elaborated in his later mystical work, A Vision. Prior to the establishment of the Abbey Theatre, Yeats was already a central figure in Irish drama, having become the chief playwright for the Irish Literary Theatre, founded in 1899. He was also a generous mentor, actively promoting and influencing younger poets, such as the prominent American modernist Ezra Pound, who served as Yeats’s secretary for a period and encouraged a move towards more direct and concise language in his work. Yeats's unparalleled contributions to literature garnered him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923, an accolade awarded "for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation," solidifying his international recognition. His major later works include the seminal collection The Tower, published in 1928, which contains some of his most iconic poems like "Sailing to Byzantium," and Words for Music Perhaps and Other Poems, published in 1932, showcasing his continued innovation and profound poetic voice until the end of his life.

Frequently Asked Questions About W.B. Yeats

When was William Butler Yeats born and when did he die?
William Butler Yeats was born on June 13, 1865, and he passed away on January 28, 1939.
What was the Irish Literary Revival?
The Irish Literary Revival was a cultural movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, spearheaded by figures like Yeats, aimed at creating a distinctive national literature for Ireland, often based on its rich mythology and folklore.
What was Yeats's role in the establishment of the Abbey Theatre?
Yeats was a key co-founder of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1904, which became Ireland's national theatre and a vital platform for new Irish dramatic works.
When did W.B. Yeats receive the Nobel Prize in Literature?
He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923, recognized for his poetic expression of the spirit of the Irish nation.
What are some of W.B. Yeats's most significant works?
His major works include The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems (1889), The Tower (1928), and Words for Music Perhaps and Other Poems (1932).