William Butler YeatsWilliam Butler Yeatswas born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1865, the son of a well-known Irish painter, was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1865, the son of a well-known Irish painter, John Butler Yeats. He spent his childhood in County Sligo, where his John Butler Yeats. He spent his childhood in County Sligo, where his parents were raised, and in London. Born into the Anglo-Irish landowning parents were raised, and in London. Born into the Anglo-Irish landowning class, Yeats became involved with the Celtic Revival, a movement against class, Yeats became involved with the Celtic Revival, a movement against the cultural influences of English rule in Ireland during the Victorian period, the cultural influences of English rule in Ireland during the Victorian period, which sought to promote the spirit of Ireland's native heritage. Though which sought to promote the spirit of Ireland's native heritage. Though Yeats never learned Gaelic himself, his writing at the turn of the century Yeats never learned Gaelic himself, his writing at the turn of the century drew extensively from sources in Irish mythology and folklore. Also a drew extensively from sources in Irish mythology and folklore. Also a potent influence on his poetry was the Irish revolutionary Maud Gonne, potent influence on his poetry was the Irish revolutionary Maud Gonne, whom he met in 1889, a woman equally famous for her passionate whom he met in 1889, a woman equally famous for her passionate nationalist politics and her beauty. Though she married another man in nationalist politics and her beauty. Though she married another man in 1903 and grew apart from Yeats (and Yeats himself was eventually 1903 and grew apart from Yeats (and Yeats himself was eventually married to another woman, Georgie Hyde Lees), she remained a powerful married to another woman, Georgie Hyde Lees), she remained a powerful figure in his poetry.figure in his poetry. Yeats was deeply involved in politics in Ireland, and in the twenties, Yeats was deeply involved in politics in Ireland, and in the twenties, despite Irish independence from England, his verse reflected a pessimism despite Irish independence from England, his verse reflected a pessimism about the political situation in his country and the rest of Europe. about the political situation in his country and the rest of Europe. Appointed a senator of the Irish Free State in 1922, he is remembered as Appointed a senator of the Irish Free State in 1922, he is remembered as an important cultural leader, as a major playwright (he was one of the an important cultural leader, as a major playwright (he was one of the founders of the famous Abbey Theatre in Dublin), and as one of the very founders of the famous Abbey Theatre in Dublin), and as one of the very greatest poets—in any language—of the century. W. B. Yeats was greatest poets—in any language—of the century. W. B. Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1923 and died in 1939 at the age of 73.awarded the Nobel Prize in 1923 and died in 1939 at the age of 73.

W. B. YeatsW. B. Yeats

Thoor BallyleeThoor Ballylee

Thoor Thoor Ballylee: Ballylee:

transformed transformed into the into the

family home family home of W. B. of W. B.

Yeats. Yeats.

Thoor Ballylee was Yeats's monument and symbol; in both Thoor Ballylee was Yeats's monument and symbol; in both aspects it had multiple significance. It satisfied his desire for a aspects it had multiple significance. It satisfied his desire for a rooted place in a known countryside, not far from Coole and rooted place in a known countryside, not far from Coole and his life-long friend Lady Gregory. To live in a Tower his life-long friend Lady Gregory. To live in a Tower complemented, perhaps, his alignment with a tradition of complemented, perhaps, his alignment with a tradition of cultivated aristocracy which he had envied and a leisured cultivated aristocracy which he had envied and a leisured peace which he had enjoyed. peace which he had enjoyed.

The tower or castle that Yeats bought was The tower or castle that Yeats bought was a sixteenth century norman castle built by a sixteenth century norman castle built by the family de Burgo, or Burke. It consisted the family de Burgo, or Burke. It consisted of four floors with one room on each, of four floors with one room on each, connected by a spiral stone stairway built connected by a spiral stone stairway built into the seven-foot thickness of the into the seven-foot thickness of the massive outer wall. Each floor had a massive outer wall. Each floor had a window overlooking the river which window overlooking the river which flowed alongside. At the top here was a flowed alongside. At the top here was a flat roof reached by a final steep flight of flat roof reached by a final steep flight of steps from the floor below. steps from the floor below.

The tower had to be restored before The tower had to be restored before Yeats could live in it. By the summer Yeats could live in it. By the summer of 1919 Yeats and his wife and of 1919 Yeats and his wife and daughter had moved in. Yeats daughter had moved in. Yeats mentions Ballylee in a letter to Maud mentions Ballylee in a letter to Maud Gonne May 1918. Gonne May 1918.

“ “ We hope to be in Ballylee in a We hope to be in Ballylee in a month and there I dream of making month and there I dream of making a house that may encourage people a house that may encourage people to avoid ugly manufactured things - to avoid ugly manufactured things - an ideal poor man's house. Except a an ideal poor man's house. Except a very few things imported as models very few things imported as models we should get all made in Galway or we should get all made in Galway or Limerick. I am told that our Limerick. I am told that our neighbours are pleased that we are neighbours are pleased that we are not getting 'grand things but old Irish not getting 'grand things but old Irish furniture.”furniture.”

The poet William YeatsThe poet William Yeats

With old millboards and With old millboards and

sea-green slatessea-green slates

And smithy work fromAnd smithy work from

the Gort forgethe Gort forge

Restored this towerRestored this tower

for my wife George for my wife George

And may these characters And may these characters

remainremain

When all is ruin once When all is ruin once

again.again.

After the Yeats family moved out in 1929 it fell After the Yeats family moved out in 1929 it fell into disuse , but was restored as 'Yeats Tower' into disuse , but was restored as 'Yeats Tower' in 1965 and fitted out as a Yeats museum, in 1965 and fitted out as a Yeats museum, containing an interesting collection of first containing an interesting collection of first editions as well as items of furniture. The editions as well as items of furniture. The adjoining cottage is fitted out as a tea room adjoining cottage is fitted out as a tea room and shop. The tower has been wired for sound and shop. The tower has been wired for sound and a pre-recorded commentary can be played and a pre-recorded commentary can be played on a push-button system. In addition part of the on a push-button system. In addition part of the ground floor has been adapted for an audio-ground floor has been adapted for an audio-visual presentation on the years of Yeats's visual presentation on the years of Yeats's occupancy. occupancy.

Tour of the HouseTour of the House

The Dining RoomThe Dining Room

Yeats’s Yeats’s

BedroomBedroom

His ChairHis Chair

Bedroom on the top floorBedroom on the top floor

““The Winding Stair”The Winding Stair”

Door to the top of the towerDoor to the top of the tower

View from View from the top of the top of

the the towertower

““The purpose of rhythm . . . is to prolong the moment . The purpose of rhythm . . . is to prolong the moment . . . when we are both asleep and awake, . . . by . . when we are both asleep and awake, . . . by hushing us with an alluring monotony, which holds us hushing us with an alluring monotony, which holds us waking by variety, to keep us in that state of perhaps waking by variety, to keep us in that state of perhaps real trance, in which the mind liberated from the real trance, in which the mind liberated from the pressure of the will is unfolded in symbols. . . . In the pressure of the will is unfolded in symbols. . . . In the making and in the understanding of a work of art, and making and in the understanding of a work of art, and the more easily if it is full of patterns and symbols and the more easily if it is full of patterns and symbols and music, we are lured to the threshold of sleep, and it music, we are lured to the threshold of sleep, and it may be far beyond it, without knowing that we have may be far beyond it, without knowing that we have ever set our feet upon the steps of horn or of ivory” ever set our feet upon the steps of horn or of ivory” (from Yeats, “The Symbolism of Poetry,” 1900). (from Yeats, “The Symbolism of Poetry,” 1900).

Audio “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” Audio “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15529

OR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?OR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGoaQ433wnwv=hGoaQ433wnw

““The Lake Isle of The Lake Isle of Innisfree”Innisfree”

Why does the speaker vow to go to Why does the speaker vow to go to Innisfree, and how does the life he Innisfree, and how does the life he imagines living there compare to the one imagines living there compare to the one he now lives? In what ways might his he now lives? In what ways might his imagined future seem like a return to the imagined future seem like a return to the past?past?

Photograph of Lake Isle of Innisfree by Kenneth Allen (June 2008).

In his work In his work The Trembling of the VeilThe Trembling of the Veil (1922), Yeats (1922), Yeats writes: “I had still the ambition, formed in Sligo in my writes: “I had still the ambition, formed in Sligo in my teens, of living in imitation of Thoreau on Innisfree, a teens, of living in imitation of Thoreau on Innisfree, a little island in Lough Gill, and when walking through little island in Lough Gill, and when walking through Fleet Street very homesick I heard a little tinkle of Fleet Street very homesick I heard a little tinkle of water and saw a fountain in a shop-window which water and saw a fountain in a shop-window which balanced a little ball upon its jet, and began to balanced a little ball upon its jet, and began to remember lake water. From the sudden remember lake water. From the sudden remembrance came my poem Innisfree, my first lyric remembrance came my poem Innisfree, my first lyric with anything in its rhythm of my own music. I had with anything in its rhythm of my own music. I had begun to loosen rhythm as an escape from rhetoric begun to loosen rhythm as an escape from rhetoric and from that emotion of the crowd that rhetoric and from that emotion of the crowd that rhetoric brings, but I only understood vaguely and brings, but I only understood vaguely and occasionally that I must for my special purpose use occasionally that I must for my special purpose use nothing but the common syntax.”nothing but the common syntax.”

Literary Devices in “The Literary Devices in “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”Lake Isle of Innisfree”

II will arise and go now will arise and go now, and , and gogo to Innis to Innisfreefree, ,

And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles mademade: :

Nine bean-rows will Nine bean-rows will II have there, a hive for the have there, a hive for the honey-beehoney-bee; ;

And live alone in the bee-loud And live alone in the bee-loud gladeglade. .

And And II shall have some peace there, for peace comes shall have some peace there, for peace comes droppingdropping slowslow,,

DroppingDropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket from the veils of the morning to where the cricket singssings; ;

There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glowglow, ,

And evening full of the linnet’s And evening full of the linnet’s wingswings. .

II will arise and go now will arise and go now, for always night and , for always night and day day

II hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shoreshore; ;

While While II stand on the roadway, or on the pavements stand on the roadway, or on the pavements greygrey,,

II hear it in the deep heart’s hear it in the deep heart’s corecore..

1st stanza

2nd stanza

3rd stanza

Rhyme Scheme: consistent end rhymeRhyme Scheme: consistent end rhyme Imagery: Imagery: The poet creates pictures / images in the minds of the readers to

stress a particular point. This poem has both strong visual andauditory imagery

Visual imagery: (veils of the morning, midnight's all a glimmer,noon a purple glow, evening full of the linnet's wings)

Auditory Imagery(bee-loud glade, cricket sings, lake water lapping)

The images create a vivid picture of the place which gives a sense of inner peace and harmony.

Metaphors: veils of the morning, peace comes dropping slowveils of the morning, peace comes dropping slow AlliterationAlliteration: : The repetition of consonant sounds, e.g. 'lake water lapping with

low sounds.‘; repeated use of strong ‘L” sounds throughout the poem Repetition: Certain words, sounds and even stanzas are repeated in a poem

which serves to stress certain ideas, pictures / images, sounds or moods, e.g. 'dropping slow, dropping, I will... now'.