The importance of this book is that it contains some of the works of poetry which were carried out by William Yeats. Arguably, the most salient feature in the book is the attempt at portraying the shift that characterized Yeats in his work, so that his works are arranged almost chronologically to underscore this standpoint. Works that depict him as a bard of the Celtic Twilight, reviving Rosicrucian symbols and legends are the most frontal. These are followed up by works which show the shift away from plush romanticism. The same are exhibited by the heavy presence of incantatory rhythms such as "I will arise and go… and go to Innisfree". The same is seen in the lyrics, "as passionate and cold as the dawn".
The same works discussed above, seem to have been compiled to show the multiplicity of poetic roles that Yeats plays in the book. For instance, in the poems, A Poet to His Beloved" and, "When you are old" Yeats is seen as a lover. In Yeats' work of 1931 titled, "The Remorse and Interpretation of Speech", he comes out as a combative and unrelenting poet of the human conscience. His unrelenting nature is seen in the line, "I carried from my mother's womb, a fanatic heart." That Yeats explores the different sides of himself is a matter which is well underscored in this book which is a myriad of collections. The poems indeed, as already mentioned, are diverse in topic and nature. Some of the poems appear spiritualistic, occultist while others appear to be snobbish. Therefore, the book is not just an interesting read in this work on the account that it contains a collection of Yeats' poetic works, but also because it depicts him as a man of many hats, having many scopes on life matters, as far as these poems are concerned.
Yeats, B. William. "Among school children." The Norton Anthology of Poetry. New York: WW Norton and Company, 1975.
This poem was published in 1927 and comes out as a form of meditation. The poem is rich in its scope as it covers sundry topics ranging from children, to human behavior, life in the 20th century, the philosophy on life and life after death, among others. This poem is an eight-lined stanza which is heavily laden with rhymes and the use of prosaic language. The poem has been written within the context of a visitor who has walked into a classroom under the guidance of a kind elderly nun. The importance of this poem to this reading is that in it, the poet addresses the dynamism that has shaped and continues to shape the civil society, progress and modernity, as opposed to the status quo ante which predated the Civil War or the Anglo Irish War.
The importance of this poem to this reading is also seen in the fact that it betrays the political ideals that Yeats had: the poem implicates the speaker as being a senator. It is in after 1924 that Yeats served as a senator. This makes the poem sound like a poem which was penned down after the civil war, given that it is written from the standpoint of a more peaceful and politically stable Ireland. Thus, the poem is also instrumental as it lets the reader in into Yeats' political orientation and leanings. Thus, the many qualities Yeats had and the many fields he operated in, in terms of career are well confirmed by this poem.
The poem has philosophical value to it. This is seen in the point where Yeats debates within himself whether or not he was destined to fall in love with the school teacher and thereby letting readers on the philosophical debate on whether it is man who is acted upon, or it is man who acts.
Yeats, B. William. A Vision. New York: Macmillan Press, 1956.
This work of poetry was authored and late on, published in 1956. In it, Yeats reveals his cosmology (or worldview) and the belief in the supernatural. This material remains very useful to the reading, given that in it, the controversial nature of Yeats is made known. It is against this the 'serviceable madness' which was attributed to him, are made known. In A Vision, Yeats seems to be deviating from the norms of his poetry. It is against this backdrop that most analysts have described A Vision as an oddity. A Vision is said to capture the reality and dynamics which characterized the 1920s, and such, is said to have been written against the backdrop of the ideas of Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud which were continually making inroads into the social mainstream.
A Vision is thus seen to be antithetical to the skeptical ideals which were being advanced by Marx and Freud. Thus, it can be said that A Vision has been written in contrast to the development that had been taking place at the beginning of the 20th century. This is much seen to be true, courtesy of the mentioning of supernaturally inspired cosmology in the poem. There are elements in the poem which are opposed to rationality, equality, psychology and the belief in progress. Mythical, metaphorical elements, analogies and the use of symbols and images heavily color the poetic work herein.
Yeats, B. William and Jonathan, Allison. William Butler Yeats. 2003.
This book is relevant to the study, given that in it, the works of Yeats are well disclosed. The book comes as a co-authorship of Yeats himself and Jonathan Allison. The book remains indispensible, given that it contains autobiography on Yeats' life. The importance of this value to the reader is not only based on the fact that it helps learners get acquainted with the life and times of Yeats, but also on the fact that the reader is able to comprehend widely, the poems that Yeats had penned down. This is because, like all others, all the poems that have been jotted down have been written within the historical context. At the same time, the provision of details on Yeats' life is instrumental in understanding the poems since the ideas that Yeats was conveying in poetry, had all been underpinned by his experiences and preferences, with these experiences seriously shaping his scope and worldview. Secondly, the poems that are in this collection also make the book a worthy reading.
Yeats, B. William. The Autobiography of William Butler Yeats. New York: Collier Books.
This book remains very important, given that it provides an elaborate account on the life and times of Yeats. The account of Yeats as a man born on June 13th, 1865 in Dublin County of Ireland, Sandymount village, the aristocratic background of Yeats is mad well known. It is against this backdrop one is able to learn of the nativity, travels and experiences. The gravity of the autobiography above is that it helps in the understanding of Yeats' works, but also in understanding the real motivation behind the myriad works of poetry that Yeats penned down. For instance, in the poem, "A Prayer for My Son", one is able to gain its greater understanding, on knowing the fact Yeats' son was born on August 22nd, 1921, and that therefore, this was a prayer that Yeats made for his son, Michael. The same case applies to the poem, "A Prayer for My Daughter" which was written by Yeats to his daughter Anne who was born in 1919. In almost the same vein, one would gain great understanding on poems such as "A Man Young and Old", when the reader appreciates the nature of the relationship that William Yeats had with Maud Gonne who was at the time of their meeting, a 23 year old ardent nationalist and heiress.
Yeats, B. William. Poetry for Young People. Sterling Press; August 28, 2002.
This is a small volume, as an anthology of poems which is meant for the youthful audience. Alongside the poems, are commentaries which have also been accompanied by pictures. The same has been to aid in nurturing interest and understanding. This is of great importance, given that most of the young people do not read Yeats, despite having gone through the early grades which teach poetry. The importance of this collection is that it is a conglomerate of poems which are fun to read. Given the interesting nature of the poems, discussing the poems among the young becomes easy. The same picturesque and explanatory explanations have been presented to help the teacher interact easily with his pupils in the poetry class. The same characteristic of the book helps parents and even grandparents read to their children, and to introduce them (the children) to the language of poetry. The importance of this anthology is that it shows the craftiness with which Yeats is able to use language depending on context. For instance, herein, it is obvious that Yeats descends from his complex constructions which are meant for more mature audience, to use simpler constructions for the younger audience. Indeed, the ability to change the intensity and degree of language to suit the needs of an audience is one of the strokes of adeptness and mastery over language and literary devices and styles.
Yeats, B. William. Yeats' Poetry, Drama and Prose. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, March 3, 2000. Ed. 1.
This book is a collection of the poetry, drama and essays that have been written by Yeats. The importance of this book is that it does not only make known the major contributions in poetry, drama, prose fiction and autobiography, but also criticisms which have been leveled at Yeats and these works. The criticisms herein are elaborate, taking a volume of 24 interpretative essays which have been written by different seasoned authors and poets such as Douglas Archibald, Lucy McDiarmid, Thomas Parkinson and Daniel Albright, among others.
