Essay about William Butler Yeats - 2867 Words

William Butler Yeats. William Butler Yeats was the major figure in the cultural revolution which developed from the strong nationalistic movement at the end of the 19th century. He dominated the writings of a generation. He established forms and themes which came to be considered as the norms for writers of his generation. Yeats was a confessional poet - that is to say, that he wrote his poetry directly from his own experiences. He was an idealist, with a purpose. This was to create Art for his own people - the Irish. But in so doing, he experienced considerable frustration and disillusionment. The tension between this ideal, and the reality is the basis of much of his writing. One central theme of his earlier poetry is the contrast†¦show more content†¦In the final stanza, the poets mood of anger and bitterness changes to one of acceptance and resignation. He concludes that these petty minded merchants are so locked into their narrow world of self centred survival, that they are incapable of understanding the motivation and self sacrifice of patriotism. Even if the dead heroes could return and confront the merchants with the extent of their sacrifices, they would be unable to understand or appreciate what they had done. Self interest and materialism reign, idealism is dead and buried. He conc ludes on a weary note of acceptance. But let them be, theyre dead and gone, Theyre with OLeary in the grave. The Fisherman. This poem is also about Art, and the Irish peoples response to it. It is structured around the contrast between the Yeats dream to write for the Irish people, and the reality. The poem opens on a casual conversational note, Although I can see him still introducing us to the Fisherman, a wise and simple man who is the symbol of the Irish nation he had hoped to write for. Yeats has long since accepted that such a man does not exist, but nonetheless he holds on to him as an inspiration to protect himself against the reality. The reality is depicted in a litany of powerful, clever men, who misuse their abilities for their own personal ends - which are chiefly, the acquisition and maintenance of power. Their goal is public acclaim, cynically acquired through a popularity based on the Catch cries of theShow MoreRelatedEssay on William Butler Yeats846 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Butler Yeats One of Irelands finest writers, William Butler Yeats served a long apprenticeship in the arts before his genius was fully developed. He did some of his greatest work after he was fifty. Yeats was born in Dublin, Ireland, on June 13, 1865. His father was a lawyer-turned-Irish painter. In 1867 the family followed him to London and settled in Bedford Park. In 1881 they returned to Dublin, where Yeats studied the Metropolitan School of Art. Yeats spent much time with hisRead More William Butler Yeats Essays1185 Words   |  5 Pages On June 13 1865 William Butler Yeats was born in Dublin Ireland. From the start Yeats had artistic influences, due to the fact that his father Jack Butler Yeats was a noted Irish painter. He had no formal education until he was eleven, at that time he started at the Godolphin Grammar School in Hammer*censored*h England and later he enrolled in Erasmus Smith High School in Dublin. Throughout his schooling he was considered disappointing student, his studies were inconsistent, he was prone to dayRead More William Butler Yeats Essay906 Words   |  4 Pages William Butler Yeats -nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;An Irish poet, dramatist, and prose writer -nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Known for having intellectual and often obsucure poetry works -nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Quoted to be â€Å"one of the greatest English-language poets of the 20th century† -nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Even Received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923 onbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;What was most recognizable about that fact is that he is famous for his lyrical poeticRead MoreWilliam Butler Yeats Ageing Analysis1088 Words   |  5 PagesLiving (Three Messages from Sailing) Who is William Butler Yeats? William Butler Yeats is regarded as one of the finest poets of the century. Also, his return to the past as one would say has helped him to have a place in the future. 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The lifeRead MoreThe Style and Content of William Butler Yeats2176 Words   |  9 PagesThe Style and Content of William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats was a man who is known for his extraordinary writings of the nineteenth century, and is considered to be one of the greatest poets of the English language. Yeats was a poet with extensive knowledge and was thought to have been born ahead of his time. Throughout his poetry and literary works he uses a combination of technique and style to express his meaningful ideas. Yeats became a pioneering poet who had a revolutionary type ofRead MoreWilliam Butler Yeats The Second Coming1011 Words   |  5 PagesIn William Butler Yeats The Second Coming, the poet makes phrases such as; â€Å"the best lack of conviction of stony sleep (19) and the falcon cannot hear the falconer (2). The phrases are useful in suggesting various thematic concerns of the poem as well asserting separation of ideas and events that occur during the time when Yeats is writing his work. Different interpretations of the stanzas may bring a connection of the antagonism of people and events that Yea ts foresees. For instance, the falconRead MoreThe Second Coming by William Butler Yeats751 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Butler Yeats is considered to be one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century. As stated in an online source, â€Å"he belonged to the protestant, Anglo-Irish minority. Yeats was not a set person, in his earlier life he lived in London. Also, Yeats had a very interesting love life as a poet. It is very clear that he was an explanatory poet. Ones objective of this paper is to identify and discuss the significance of William Butler Yeats. However, the minority Yeats belonged to belongedRead More William Butler Yeats’ The Magi Essay806 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Butler Yeats’ The Magi   Ã‚  Ã‚   Briefly stated, William Butler Yeats’ The Magi is a poem about people who, upon reaching old age, or perhaps just older age, turn to God and the spiritual world for fulfillment and happiness. We are told in the footnote to this poem that, after writing The Dolls, Yeats looked up into the blue sky and imagined that he could see stiff figures in procession. Perhaps after imagining these figures, Yeats debated within himself whom these pictures could representRead MoreWilliam Butler Yeats And His Life1810 Words   |  8 PagesWho knows when a Nobel Prize would have been given to an Irish man if it had not been for William Butler Yeats? William Butler Yeats is a great figure in the history of Irish poetry and playwriting. He wrote many poems and plays throughout his entire life. He was a very modernist man and many of his poems were based on this, they were ahead of his time beautiful and inspiring. What was behind William Butler Yeats success, and what phases did he have to go through to get there. This man has influenced