Public Domain Poetry - William Butler Yeats
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William Butler Yeats

June 13, 1865 – January 28, 1939


Poetry Listing


Read More About William Butler Yeats below poetry list
Poem TitleFirst LinesPeriod# Lines# Reads
1: A Bronze Head Here at right of the entrance this bronze head, 745
2: A Coat I Made my song a coat 1916 10713
3: A Cradle Song The Danann children laugh, in cradles of wrought gold, 12855
4: A Crazed Girl That crazed girl improvising her music. 633
5: A Deep-sworn Vow Others because you did not keep 1916 6572
6: A Dialogue Of Self And Soul I summon to the winding ancient stair; 502
7: A Dream Of Death I Dreamed that one had died in a strange place 121053
8: A Drinking Song Wine comes in at the mouth 1916 61343
9: A Drunken Man's Praise Of Sobriety Come swish around, my pretty punk, 16787
10: A Faery Song We who are old, old and gay, 16823
11: A First Confession I admit the briar 18847
12: A Friend's Illness Sickness brought me this 1916 7783
13: A Last Confession What lively lad most pleasured me 24815
14: A Man Young And Old Through nurtured like the sailing moon 167791
15: A Man Young And Old:- First Love Though nurtured like the sailing moon 18809
16: A Man Young And Old:- From Oedipus At Colonus Endure what life God gives and ask no longer span; 12687
17: A Man Young And Old:- His Memories We should be hidden from their eyes, 18712
18: A Man Young And Old:- His Wildness O bid me mount and sail up there 12670
19: A Man Young And Old:- Human Dignity Like the moon her kindness is, 12734
20: A Man Young And Old:- Summer And Spring We sat under an old thorn-tree 16711
21: A Man Young And Old:- The Death Of The Hare I have pointed out the yelling pack, 12664
22: A Man Young And Old:- The Empty Cup A crazy man that found a cup, 10708
23: A Man Young And Old:- The Friends Of His Youth Laughter not time destroyed my voice 20682
24: A Man Young And Old:- The Mermaid A mermaid found a swimming lad, 6750
25: A Man Young And Old:- The Secrets Of The Old I have old women’s secrets now 18680
26: A Meditation In Time Of War For one throb of the artery, 5759
27: A Memory Of Youth The moments passed as at a play; 1916 29750
28: A Model For The Laureate On thrones from China to Peru 24607
29: A Nativity What woman hugs her infant there? 12672
30: A Needle's Eye All the stream that's roaring by 4828
31: A Poet To His Beloved I Bring you with reverent hands 8690
32: A Prayer For My Daughter Once more the storm is howling, and half hid 1919 80936
33: A Prayer For My Son Bid a strong ghost stand at the head 32665
34: A Prayer For Old Age God guard me from those thoughts men think 12728
35: A Prayer On Going Into My House God grant a blessing on this tower and cottage 1919 16670
36: A Song I Thought no more was needed 1919 18537
37: A Song From The Player Queen My mother dandled me and sang, 20588
38: A Stick Of Incense Whence did all that fury come? 4452
39: A Thought From Propertius She might, so noble from head 748
40: A Woman Homer sung If any man drew near 1916 21479
41: A Woman Young And Old She hears me strike the board and say 473
42: Adam's Curse We sat together at one summer's end, 634
43: Aedh Gives His Beloved Certain Rhymes Fasten your hair with a golden pin, 12770
44: Aedh Hears The Cry Of The Sedge I Wander by the edge 10753
45: Aedh Laments The Loss Of Love Pale brows, still hands and dim hair, 7785
46: Aedh Pleads With The Elemental Powers The powers whose name and shape no living creature knows 18796
47: Aedh Tells Of A Valley Full Of Lovers I dreamed that I stood in a valley, and amid sighs, 8793
48: Aedh Tells Of The Perfect Beauty O cloud-pale eyelids, dream-dimmed eyes 8793
49: Aedh Tells Of The Rose In His Heart All things uncomely and broken, all things worn out and old, 8819
50: Aedh Thinks Of Those Who Have Spoken Evil Of His Beloved Half close your eyelids, loosen your hair, 6733
51: Aedh Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths, 8807
52: Aedh Wishes His Beloved Were Dead Were you but lying cold and dead, 13520
53: After Long Silence Speech after long silence; it is right, 481
54: Against Unworthy Praise O Heart, be at peace, because 1916 20506
55: All Souls' Night Midnight has come, and the great Christ Church Bell 716
56: All Things Can Tempt Me All things can tempt me from this craft of verse: 1916 10520
57: Alternative Song For The Severd Head In "The King Of The Great Clock Tower" Saddle and ride, I heard a man say, 643
58: Among School Children I walk through the long schoolroom questioning; 615
59: An Acre Of Grass Picture and book remain, 710
60: An Appointment Being out of heart with government 1916 11566
61: An Image From A Past Life Never until this night have I been stirred. 713
62: An Irish Airman Foresees His Death I know that I shall meet my fate 1919 151183
63: Anashuya And Vijaya Send peace on all the lands and flickering corn. 691
64: Another Song Of A Fool This great purple butterfly, 771
65: Are You Content? I call on those that call me son, 604
66: At Aleciras -- A Meditaton Upon Death The heron-billed pale cattle-birds 684
67: At Galway Races There where the course is, 1916 16523
68: At the Abbey Theatre Dear Craoibhin Aoibhin, look into our case. 1916 14467
69: Baile And Aillinn On the heir of Uladh, Buan's son, 663
70: Beautiful Lofty Things Beautiful lofty things: O'Leary's noble head; 12841
71: Before The World Was Made If I make the lashes dark 615
72: Beggar To Beggar Cried Time to put off the world and go somewhere 1916 20478
73: Blood And The Moon Blessed be this place, 671
74: Breasal The Fisherman Although you hide in the ebb and flow 8468
75: Broken Dreams There is grey in your hair. 782
76: Brown Penny I Whispered, "I am too young," 648
77: Byzantium The unpurged images of day recede; 639
78: Chosen The lot of love is chosen. I learnt that much 638
79: Church And State Here is fresh matter, poet, 578
80: Closing Rhymes While I, from that reed-throated whisperer 1916 14514
81: Colonel Martin The Colonel went out sailing, 591
82: Colonus' Praise Come praise Colonus' horses, and come praise 571
83: Come Gather Round Me, Parnellites Come gather round me, Parnellites, 740
84: Conjunctions If Jupiter and Saturn meet, 4662
85: Consolation O but there is wisdom 614
86: Coole Park I meditate upon a swallow's flight, 1929 32724
87: Coole Park and Ballylee I meditate upon a swallow's flight, 1931 80808
88: Crazy Jane And Jack The Journeyman I know, although when looks meet 580
89: Crazy Jane And The Bishop Bring me to the blasted oak 582
90: Crazy Jane Grown Old Looks At The Dancers I found that ivory image there 588
91: Crazy Jane On God That lover of a night 579
92: Crazy Jane On The Day Of Judgment Love is all 634
93: Crazy Jane On The Mountain I am tired of cursing the Bishop, 622
94: Crazy Jane Reproved I care not what the sailors say: 452
95: Crazy Jane Talks With The Bishop I met the Bishop on the road 431
96: Cuchulain Comforted A man that had six mortal wounds, a man 434
97: Cuchulain's Fight With The Sea A man came slowly from the setting sun, 92753
98: Death Nor dread nor hope attend 704
99: Demon and Beast For certain minutes at the least 596
100: Down By The Salley Gardens Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet; 493
101: Easter I have met them at close of day 1916 80793
102: Ego Dominus Tuus On the grey sand beside the shallow stream 686
103: Ephemera Your eyes that once were never weary of mine 598
104: Fallen Majesty Although crowds gathered once if she but showed her face, 1916 8485
105: Father And Child She hears me strike the board and say 458
106: Fergus And The Druid his whole day have I followed in the rocks, 488
107: For Anne Gregory Never shall a young man, 456
108: Fragments Locke sank into a swoon; 444
109: Friends Now must I these three praise, 1916 28522
110: From A Full Moon In March Under the Great Comedian's tomb the crowd. 467
111: From The 'Antigone' Overcome -- O bitter sweetness, 463
112: Girl's Song I went out alone 497
113: Gratitude To The Unknown Instructors What they undertook to do 4496
114: Hanrahan Laments Because Of His Wanderings O Where is our Mother of Peace 421
115: Hanrahan Reproves The Curlew O, Curlew, cry no more in the air, 456
116: Hanrahan Speaks To The Lovers Of His Songs In Coming Days O, Colleens, kneeling by your altar rails long hence, 457
117: He And She As the moon sidles up 733
118: He Bids His Beloved Be At Peace I hear the Shadowy Horses, their long manes a-shake, 471
119: He Gives His Beloved Certain Rhymes Fasten your hair with a golden pin, 404
120: He Hears The Cry Of The Sedge I wander by the edge 405
121: He Mourns For The Change That Has Come Upon Him And His Beloved, And Longs For The End Of The World Do you not hear me calling, white deer with no horns? 424
122: He Remembers Forgotten Beauty When my arms wrap you round I press 471
123: He Reproves The Curlew O Curlew, cry no more in the air, 398
124: He Tells Of A Valley Full Of Lovers I dreamed that I stood in a valley, and amid sighs, 463
125: He Tells Of The Perfect Beauty O cloud-pale eyelids, dream-dimmed eyes, 457
126: He Thinks Of His Past Greatness When A Part Of The Constellations Of Heaven I have drunk ale from the Country of the Young 426
127: He Thinks Of Those Who Have Spoken Evil Of His Beloved Half close your eyelids, loosen your hair, 418
128: He Thinks Of Those Who Have Spoken Evil Of His Beloved Half close your eyelids, loosen your hair, 447
129: He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, 491
130: He Wishes His Beloved Were Dead Were you but lying cold and dead, 405
131: Her Praise She is foremost of those that I would hear praised. 707
132: High Talk Processions that lack high stilts have nothing that catches the eye. 420
133: His Dream I Swayed upon the gaudy stern 1916 20459
134: His Phoenix There is a queen in China, or maybe it’s in Spain, 670
135: Hound Voice Because we love bare hills and stunted trees 406
136: Imitated From The Japanese A most astonishing thing 425
137: In Memory Of Alfred Pollexfen Five-and-twenty years have gone 683
138: In Memory of Major Robert Gregory Now that we're almost settled in our house 1919 98834
139: In Tara's Halls A man I praise that once in Tara's Hals 426
140: In The Seven Woods I have heard the pigeons of the Seven Woods 425
141: Into The Twilight Out-worn heart, in a time out-worn, 449
142: Introductory Rhymes Pardon, old fathers, if you still remain Jan 1914 22465
143: John Kinsella's Lament For Mr. Mary Moore A Bloody and a sudden end, 36907
144: King and No King Would it were anything but merely voice! 16423
145: Lapis Lazuli I have heard that hysterical women say 471
146: Leda And The Swan A sudden blow: the great wings beating still 497
147: Lines Written In Dejection When have I last looked on 678
148: Long-Legged Fly That civilisation may not sink, 391
149: Maid Quiet Where has Maid Quiet gone to, 385
150: Me Peacock What's riches to him 397
151: Meditations In Time Of Civil War Surely among a rich man s flowering lawns, 366
152: Memory One had a lovely face, 666
153: Men Improve With The Years I am worn out with dreams; 715
154: Meru Civilisation is hooped together, brought 685
155: Michael Robartes Asks Forgiveness Because Of His Many Moods If this importunate heart trouble your peace 386
156: Michael Robartes Bids His Beloved Be At Peace I hear the Shadowy Horses, their long manes a-shake, 691
157: Michael Robartes Remembers Forgotten Beauty When my arms wrap you round I press 705
158: Mohini Chatterjee I asked if I should pray. 417
159: Mongan Laments The Change That Has Come Upon Him And His Beloved Do you not hear me calling, white deer with no horns! 659
160: Mongan Thinks Of His Past Greatness I have drunk ale from the Country of the Young 662
161: Narrative And Dramatic The Wanderings Of Oisin You who are bent, and bald, and blind, 411
162: Never Give All the Heart Never give all the heart, for love 430
163: News For The Delphic Oracle There all the golden codgers lay, 360
164: Nineteen Hundred And Nineteen Many ingenious lovely things are gone 410
165: No Second Troy Why should I blame her that she filled my days 12384
166: O Do Not Love Too Long Sweetheart, do not love too long: 503
167: Oil And Blood In tombs of gold and lapis lazuli 406
168: Old Memory O thought, fly to her when the end of day 400
169: On A Picture Of A Black Centaur By Edmund Dulac Your hooves have stamped at the black margin of the wood, 384
170: On A Political Prisoner She that but little patience knew, 382
171: On Being Asked For A War Poem I think it better that in times like these 590
172: On Hearing That The Students Of Our New University Have Joined The Ancient Order Of Hibernians And The Agitation Against Immoral Literature Where, where but here have Pride and Truth, 4402
173: On Those That Hated "The Playboy Of The Western World" Once, when midnight smote the air, 375
174: On Woman May God be praised for woman 619
175: Owen Aherne And His Dancers A strange thing surely that my Heart, when love had come unsought 4592
176: Parnell's Funeral Under the Great Comedian's tomb the crowd. 398
177: Paudeen Indignant at the fumbling wits, the obscure spite 8402
178: Peace Ah, that Time could touch a form 11463
179: Politics How can I, that girl standing there, 593
180: Presences This night has been so strange that it seemed 591
181: Quarrel In Old Age Where had her sweetness gone? 679
182: Reconciliation Some may have blamed you that you took away 12431
183: Red Hanrahan's Song About Ireland The old brown thorn-trees break in two high over Cummen Strand, 610
184: Remorse For Intemperate Speech I ranted to the knave and fool, 580
185: Responsibilities Pardon, old fathers, if you still remain 454
186: Ribb At The Tomb Of Baile And Aillinn Because you have found me in the pitch-dark night 551
187: Ribb Considers Christian Love Insufficient Why should I seek for love or study it? 606
188: Ribb Denounces Patrick An abstract Greek absurdity has crazed the man 588
189: Ribb In Ecstasy What matter that you understood no word! 8645
190: Roger Casement I say that Roger Casement 628
191: Running To Paradise As I came over Windy Gap 28404
192: Sailing To Byzantium That is no country for old men. The young 802
193: September 1913 What need you, being come to sense, 32438
194: Shepherd And Goatheard That cry's from the first cuckoo of the year. 535
195: Sixteen Dead Men O but we talked at large before 615
196: Slim Adolescence That A Nymph Has Stripped Slim adolescence that a nymph has stripped, 558
197: Solomon And The Witch And thus declared that Arab lady: 382
198: Solomon To Sheba Sang Solomon to Sheba, 633
199: Spilt Milk We that have done and thought, 4450
200: Statistics Those Platonists are a curse," he said, 4605
201: Stream And Sun At Glendalough Through intricate motions ran 562
202: Supernatural Songs Because you have found me in the pitch-dark night 595
203: Sweet Dancer The girl goes dancing there 595
204: Swift's Epitaph Swift has sailed into his rest; 8578
205: Symbols A storm beaten old watch-tower, 6580
206: That The Night Come She lived in storm and strife, 12663
207: The Apparitions Because there is safety in derision 566
208: The Arrow I thought of your beauty, and this arrow, 565
209: The Attack on ‘The Playboy of the Western World,’ 1907 Once, when midnight smote the air, 1916 6431
210: The Ballad Of Father Gilliagan The old priest Peter Gilligan 586
211: The Ballad Of Father O'Hart Good Father John O'Hart 621
212: The Ballad Of Moll Magee Come round me, little childer; 595
213: The Ballad Of The Foxhunter Lay me in a cushioned chair; 634
214: The Balloon Of The Mind Hands, do what you’re bid; 550
215: The Black Tower Say that the men of the old black tower, 577
216: The Blessed Cumhal called out, bending his head, 40443
217: The Cap And Bells The jester walked in the garden: 402
218: The Cat And The Moon The cat went here and there 591
219: The Chambermaid's First Song How came this ranger 609
220: The Chambermaid's Second Song From pleasure of the bed, 561
221: The Choice The intellect of man is forced to choose 559
222: The Circus Animal Desertion I sought a theme and sought for it in vain, 414
223: The Cloak, The Boat, And The Shoes What do you make so fair and bright?" 530
224: The Cold Heaven Suddenly I saw the cold and rook-delighting Heaven 1916 12462
225: The Collar-Bone Of A Hare Would I could cast a sail on the water 517
226: The Coming Of Wisdom With Time Though leaves are many, the root is one; 1916 4424
227: The Consolation I Had this thought awhile ago, 1916 16473
228: The Countess Cathleen In Paradise All the heavy days are over; 592
229: The crazed moon Crazed through much child-bearing 371
230: The Curse Of Cromwell You ask what -- I have found, and far and wide I go: 596
231: The Dawn I would be ignorant as the dawn 589
232: The Dedication To A Book Of Stories There was a green branch hung with many a bell 380
233: The Delphic Oracle Upon Plotinus Behold that great Plotinus swim, 386
234: The Dolls A Doll in the doll-maker’s house 1916 20432
235: The Double Vision Of Michael Robartes On the grey rock of Cashel the mind’s eye 549
236: The Everlasting Voices O sweet everlasting Voices be still; 447
237: The Falling Of The Leaves Autumn is over the long leaves that love us, 396
238: The Fascination Of What’s Difficult The Fascination of what’s difficult 1916 13435
239: The Fiddler Of Dooney When I play on my fiddle in Dooney, 423
240: The Fish Although you hide in the ebb and flow 382
241: The Fisherman Although I can see him still, 602
242: The Folly Of Being Comforted One that is ever kind said yesterday: 373
243: The Fool By The Roadside When all works that have 411
244: The Four Ages Of Man He with body waged a fight, 8619
245: The Ghost Of Roger Casement O what has made that sudden noise? 580
246: The Gift Of Harun Al-Rashid Kusta Ben Luka is my name, I write 378
247: The Great Day Hurrah for revolution and more cannon-shot! 576
248: The Grey Rock Poets with whom I learned my trade, 1916 132400
249: The Gyres The gyres! the gyres! Old Rocky Face, look forth; 377
250: The Harp Of Aengus Edain came out of Midhir's hill, and lay 594
251: The Hawk Call down the hawk from the air; 595
252: The Heart Of The Woman O what to me the little room 370
253: The Host Of The Air O’Driscoll drove with a song, 372
254: The Hosting Of The Sidhe The host is riding from Knocknarea 420
255: The Hour Before Dawn A one-legged, one-armed, one-eyed man, 1916 120447
256: The Hour-Glass He said we might choose the subject for the lesson 1912 740415
257: The Indian To His Love The island dreams under the dawn 354
258: The Indian Upon God I passed along the water's edge below the humid trees, 408
259: The Lady's First Song I turn round 614
260: The Lady's Second Song What sort of man is coming 559
261: The Lady's Third Song When you and my true lover meet 559
262: The Lake Isle Of Innisfree I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, 381
263: The Lamentation Of The Old Pensioner Although I shelter from the rain 586
264: The Leaders Of The Crowd They must to keep their certainty accuse 546
265: The Living Beauty I’ll say and maybe dream I have drawn content 553
266: The Lover Asks Forgiveness Because Of His Many Moods If this importunate heart trouble your peace 385
267: The Lover Mourns For The Loss Of Love Pale brows, still hands and dim hair, 569
268: The Lover Pleads With His Friend For Old Friends Though you are in your shining days, 543
269: The Lover Speaks To The Hearers Of His Songs In Coming Days O women, kneeling by your altar-rails long hence, 544
270: The Lover Tells Of The Rose In His Heart All things uncomely and broken, all things worn out and old, 623
271: The Lover's Song Bird sighs for the air, 606
272: The Madness Of King Goll I sat on cushioned otter-skin: 632
273: The Magi Now as at all times I can see in the mind’s eye, 8419
274: The Man And The Echo In a cleft that's christened Alt 659
275: The Man Who Dreamed Of Faeryland He stood among a crowd at Dromahair; 664
276: The Mask Put off that mask of burning gold 15448
277: The Meditation Of The Old Fisherman You waves, though you dance by my feet like children at play, 643
278: The Moods Time drops in decay, 652
279: The Mother Of God The threefold terror of love; a fallen flare 642
280: The Mountain Tomb Pour wine and dance if Manhood still have pride, 12362
281: The Municipal Gallery Revisited Around me the images of thirty years: 662
282: The New Faces If you, that have grown old, were the first dead, 645
283: The Nineteenth Century And After Though the great song return no more 643
284: The O'Rahilly Sing of the O'Rahilly, 633
285: The Old Age Of Queen Maeve MAEVE the great queen was pacing to and fro, 659
286: The Old Men Admiring Themselves In The Water I heard the old, old men say, 641
287: The Old Stone Cross A statesman is an easy man, 642
288: The Peacock What's riches to him 11406
289: The People What have I earned for all that work,’ I said, 651
290: The Phases of the Moon An old man cocked his ear upon a bridge; 723
291: The Pilgrim I fasted for some forty days on bread and buttermilk, 618
292: The Player Queen My mother dandled me and sang, 20390
293: The Players Ask For A Blessing On The Psalteries And On Themselves Hurry to bless the hands that play, 693
294: The Poet Pleads With His Friend For Old Friends Though you are in your shining days, 655
295: The Ragged Wood O hurry where by water among the trees 649
296: The Realists Hope that you may understand! 8392
297: The Results Of Thought Acquaintance; companion; 674
298: The Rose Of Battle Rose of all Roses, Rose of all the World! 632
299: The Rose Of Peace If Michael, leader of God's host 657
300: The Rose Of The World Who dreamed that beauty passes like a dream? 655
301: The Rose Tree O words are lightly spoken, 701
302: The Sad Shepherd That cry’s from the first cuckoo of the year 660
303: The Saint And The Hunchback Stand up and lift your hand and bless 583
304: The Scholars Bald heads forgetful of their sins, 575
305: The Second Coming Turning and turning in the widening gyre 437
306: The Secret Rose Far off, most secret, and inviolate Rose, 727
307: The Seven Sages My great-grandfather spoke to Edmund Burke In Grattan's house. 633
308: The Shadowy Waters The deck of an ancient ship. At the right of the stage is the mast, 588
309: The Song Of The Happy Shepherd The woods of Arcady are dead, 619
310: The Song Of The Old Mother I Rise in the dawn, and I kneel and blow 689
311: The Song Of Wandering Aengus I went out to the hazel wood, 686
312: The Sorrow Of Love The brawling of a sparrow in the eaves 626
313: The Spirit Medium Poetry, music, I have loved, and yet 618
314: The Spur You think it horrible that lust and rage 570
315: The Statesman's Holiday I Lived among great houses, 376
316: The Statues Pythagoras planned it. Why did the people stare? 597
317: The Stolen Child Where dips the rocky highland 470
318: The Three Beggars Though to my feathers in the wet, 64722
319: The Three Bushes Said lady once to lover, 607
320: The Three Hermits Three old hermits took the air 32728
321: The Three Monuments They hold their public meetings where 639
322: The Tower That is no country for old men. The young 572
323: The Travail Of Passion When the flaming lute-thronged angelic door is wide; 632
324: The Two Kings King Eochaid came at sundown to a wood 228683
325: The Two Trees Beloved, gaze in thine own heart, 401
326: The Unappeasable Host The Danaan children laugh, in cradles of wrought gold, 526
327: The Valley Of The Black Pig The dews drop slowly and dreams gather: unknown spears 648
328: The Well And The Tree The man that I praise, 16664
329: The Wheel Through winter-time we call on spring, 518
330: The White Birds I would that we were, my beloved, white birds on the foam of the sea! 576
331: The Wild Old Wicked Man Because I am mad about women I am mad about the hills 522
332: The Wild Swans At Coole The trees are in their autumn beauty, 509
333: The Winding Stair And Other Poems The light of evening, Lissadell, 550
334: The Witch Toil and grow rich, 8648
335: The Withering Of The Boughs I cried when the moon was murmuring to the birds: 533
336: The Young Man’s Song I Whispered, ‘I am too young,’ 16682
337: There There all the barrel-hoops are knit, 4664
338: These Are The Clouds These are the clouds about the fallen sun, 12702
339: Those Images What if I bade you leave 391
340: Three Marching Songs Remember all those renowned generations, 530
341: Three Movements Shakespearean fish swam the sea, far away from land; 363
342: Three Songs To The One Burden The Roaring Tinker if you like, 501
343: Three Songs To The Same Tune Grandfather sang it under the gallows: 483
344: To A Child Dancing In The Wind Dance there upon the shore; 24780
345: To A Friend Whose Work Has Come To Nothing Now all the truth is out, 16663
346: To A Poet You say, as I have often given tongue 4644
347: To A Shade If you have revisited the town, thin Shade, September 29th, 1913 26654
348: To A Squirrel At Kyle-na-gno Come play with me; 600
349: To A Wealthy Man You gave but will not give again December 1912 36666
350: To A Young Beauty Dear fellow-artist, why so free 536
351: To A Young Girl My dear, my dear, I know 558
352: To An Isle In The Water Shy one, Shy one, 532
353: To Be Carved On A Stone At Thoor Ballylee I, The poet William Yeats, 377
354: To Dorothy Wellesley Stretch towards the moonless midnight of the trees, 391
355: To Ireland In The Coming Times Know, that I would accounted be 418
356: To My Heart, Bidding It Have No Fear Be you still, be you still, trembling heart; 667
357: To Some I Have Talked With By The Fire While I wrought out these fitful Danaan rhymes, 421
358: To The Rose Upon The Road Of Time Red Rose, proud Rose, sad Rose of all my days! 414
359: Tom O’Roughley Though logic choppers rule the town, 558
360: Towards Break Of Day Was it the double of my dream 418
361: Two Songs From A Play I saw a staring virgin stand 413
362: Two Songs Of A Fool A speckled cat and a tame hare 604
363: Two Songs Rewritten For The Tune's Sake My Paistin Finn is my sole desire, 375
364: Two Years Later Has no one said those daring 389
365: Under Ben Bulben Swear by what the sages spoke 453
366: Under Saturn Do not because this day I have grown saturnine 436
367: Under The Moon I have no happiness in dreaming of Brycelinde, 447
368: Under The Round Tower Although I’d lie lapped up in linen 617
369: Upon A Dying Lady With the old kindness, the old distinguished grace 559
370: Upon A House Shaken By The Land Agitation How should the world be luckier if this house, 12646
371: Vacilliation Between extremities 458
372: Veronica's Napkin The Heavenly Circuit; Berenice's Hair; 395
373: What Magic Drum? He holds him from desire, all but stops his breathing lest 577
374: What Then? His chosen comrades thought at school 359
375: What Was Lost I sing what was lost and dread what was won, 408
376: When Helen Lived We have cried in our despair 12600
377: When You Are Old When you are old and grey and full of sleep, 708
378: Whence Had They Come? Eternity is passion, girl or boy 603
379: Who Goes With Fergus? Who will go drive with Fergus now, 376
380: Why Should Not Old Men Be Mad? Why should not old men be mad? 387
381: Wisdom The true faith discovered was 451
382: Words I had this thought a while ago, 385
383: Words For Music Perhaps Bring me to the blasted oak 426
384: Youth And Age Much did I rage when young, 447




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William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and dramatist and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival, and together with Lady Gregory and Edward Martyn founded the Abbey Theatre and served as its chief playwright during its early years. Yeats was a pillar of the Irish literary establishment and was an Irish Senator for two terms. In 1923, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for what the Nobel Committee described as "his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation". Yeats is generally considered one of the few writers whose greatest works were completed after being awarded the Nobel Prize; such works include The Tower (1928) and The Winding Stair and Other Poems (1929).

Yeats is generally considered to be one of the twentieth century's key English-language poets. Yet, unlike most modernists who experimented with free verse, Yeats was also a master of the traditional verse forms. The impact of modernism on his work can be seen in the increasing abandonment of the more conventionally poetic diction of his early work in favor of the more austere language and more direct approach to his themes that increasingly characterises the poetry and plays of his middle period, comprising the volumes In the Seven Woods, Responsibilities and The Green Helmet. His later poetry and plays are written in a more personal vein, and the works written in the last twenty years of his life include mention of his son and daughter, as well as meditations on the experience of growing old. In his poem, "The Circus Animals' Desertion", he describes the inspiration for these late works:
“ Now that my ladders gone
I must lie down where all the ladders start
In the foul rag and bone shop of the heart ”

During 1929, he stayed at Thoor Ballylee, near Gort in County Galway (where Yeats had his summer home since 1919) for the last time. Much of the remainder of his life was lived outside of Ireland, although he did lease Riversdale house in the Dublin suburb of Rathfarnham in 1932. He wrote prolifically through his final years, and published poetry, plays, and prose. In 1938, he attended the Abbey for the final time to see the premier of his play Purgatory. His Autobiographies of William Butler Yeats was published that same year.

While Yeats's early poetry drew heavily on Irish myth and folklore. His later work was engaged with more contemporary issues, and his style underwent a dramatic transformation. His work can be divided into three general periods. The early poems are lushly pre-Raphaelite in tone, self-consciously ornate, and at times, according to unsympathetic critics, stilted. Yeats began by writing epic poems such as The Isle of Statues and The Wanderings of Oisin. After Oisin, he never attempted another long poem. His other early poems are lyrics on the themes of love or mystical and esoteric subjects. Yeats' middle period saw him abandon the pre-Raphaelite character of his early work and attempt to turn himself into a Landor-style social ironist. Critics who admire his middle work might characterize it as supple and muscular in its rhythms and sometimes harshly modernist, while others find these poems barren and weak in imaginative power. Yeats' later work found new imaginative inspiration in the mystical system he began to work out for himself under the influence of spiritualism. In many ways, this poetry is a return to the vision of his earlier work. The opposition between the worldly-minded man of the sword and the spiritually-minded man of God, the theme of The Wanderings of Oisin, is reproduced in A Dialogue Between Self and Soul.

Some critics claim that Yeats spanned the transition from the nineteenth century into twentieth-century modernism in poetry much as Pablo Picasso did in painting. Others question whether late Yeats really has much in common with modernists of the Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot variety. Modernists read the well-known poem The Second Coming as a dirge for the decline of European civilization in the mode of Eliot, but later critics have pointed out that this poem is an expression of Yeats' apocalyptic mystical theories, and thus the expression of a mind shaped by the 1890s. His most important collections of poetry started with The Green Helmet (1910) and Responsibilities (1914). In imagery, Yeats's poetry became sparer, more powerful as he grew older. The Tower (1928), The Winding Stairs (1929) and New Poems (1938) contained some of the most potent images in twentieth-century poetry; his Last Poems are conceded by most to be amongst his best.

Yeats's mystical inclinations, informed by Hindu Theosophical beliefs and the occult, formed much of the basis of his late poetry, which some critics have judged as lacking in intellectual credibility. W. H. Auden criticizes his late stage as the "deplorable spectacle of a grown man occupied with the mumbo-jumbo of magic and the nonsense of India". The metaphysics of Yeats's late works must be read in relation to his system of esoteric fundamentalities in A Vision (1925).

His 1920 poem, "The Second Coming" is one of the most potent sources of imagery about the twentieth century.
“ Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity. ”

For the anti-democratic Yeats, 'the best' referred to the traditional ruling classes of Europe, who were unable to protect the traditional culture of Europe from materialistic mass movements. For later readers, 'the best' and 'the worst' have been redefined to fit their own political views. The concluding lines refer to Yeats' belief that history was cyclic, and that his age represented the end of the cycle that began with the rise of Christianity.
“ And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born? ”


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