Poet · 1865 – 1939
William Butler Yeats
Key Takeaways
- Yeats was one of the greatest poets writing in English in the 20th century.
- He led the Irish Literary Revival, drawing on Irish myth and identity.
- He co-founded Dublin's Abbey Theatre, Ireland's national theatre.
- He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923.
William Butler Yeats stands at the meeting point of two ages of poetry — the last of the great Romantics and one of the first of the moderns. He is widely counted among the finest poets of the 20th century.
Poet of Ireland
Yeats drew deeply on Irish myth, landscape and politics, helping lead the Irish Literary Revival and co-founding Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national stage. His poem “Easter, 1916” wrestled with the cost of Irish rebellion, while “The Second Coming” — “things fall apart; the centre cannot hold” — gave the modern era some of its most quoted lines.
A voice that grew with time
Unusually, Yeats wrote some of his greatest work in old age, his style growing sparer and more powerful. He championed the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore and worked alongside fellow Irishman George Bernard Shaw. Winner of the Nobel Prize and a senator of the new Irish state, this poet is, with T. S. Eliot, a defining voice of modern verse.
Influence
Yeats bridged Romantic and modern poetry, gave literary voice to Ireland's national awakening, and wrote lines — 'the centre cannot hold' — that have become part of the language.
Legacy
Widely regarded as one of the supreme poets of the modern age, he remains central to Irish culture and world literature.
Major Works
- The Second Coming
- Easter, 1916
- Sailing to Byzantium
Connections
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was William Butler Yeats?
W. B. Yeats (1865–1939) was an Irish poet and dramatist, a leader of the Irish Literary Revival and winner of the 1923 Nobel Prize in Literature.
What is 'The Second Coming' about?
Written after World War I, it envisions a world spinning out of control — 'things fall apart; the centre cannot hold' — and the dawning of a terrifying new age.
Citations & Sources
People Like William
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Why Whose Gitanjali Yeats championed, writing its introduction for English readers.
George Bernard Shaw
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Why A fellow Irish writer of the same generation who reshaped English-language drama.
T. S. Eliot
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