About
William Butler Yeats, a major figure of the Irish Literary Revival, was born in Dublin in 1865. He spent his childhood in County Sligo, absorbing the folklore and rural landscapes that would nourish his work. After studying art, he turned to literature and published his first important collection, 'The Wanderings of Oisin' (1889). Co-founder of the National Literary Society and the Abbey Theatre, he wrote landmark plays such as 'Cathleen ni Houlihan'. A senator of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1928, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923. His late collections, 'The Tower' and 'The Winding Stair', are considered among his greatest masterpieces. He died in France in 1939.
* 1865-06-13 — † 1939-01-28
Major works
- The Wanderings of Oisin (1889)poetry
- Cathleen ni Houlihan (1902)play
- The Tower (1928)poetry
- The Winding Stair and Other Poems (1929)poetry
- A Vision (1925)prose
Key milestones
- 1898Co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre with Lady Gregory and Edward Martyn, which led to the Abbey Theatre.
- 1923Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
- 1922Appointed senator of the Irish Free State, serving until 1928.
Themes
Irish mythologySpiritualism and esotericismNational identityAging and timeArt and politics
Sources: beta.nobelprize.org · nli.ie
