W.B. Yeats - Irish Poet & Playwright

William Butler Yeats

On June 13, 1865, William Butler Yeats (often known as W.B. Yeats) was born in Dublin, Ireland. He was an Irish poet, playwright, and politician. He was the son of Susan Mary Pollexfen, an educated woman with a passion for the arts, and John Butler Yeats, a barrister. Jack, Susan Mary, and Elizabeth were Yeats' three siblings.

W.B. Yeats had his education at home and in a number of Dublin and London schools, where he also fell in love with poetry and literature at a young age. He started writing his own poetry and participating in the Irish literary resurgence in the 1880s. The Wanderings of Oisin (1889) and "The Countess Kathleen" are two of his earlier works (1892).

W.B. Yeats joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a covert organization with esoteric interests, and increased his political activism in the 1890s. Also, he got active in the Irish nationalist movement and joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a covert organization that fought for the independence of Ireland from Britain.

W.B. Yeats had a number of women throughout his life that he fell in love with, including Georgie Hyde-Lees, an actress and Irish rebel, and Maud Gonne. Michael and Anne Hyde-Lees were the couple's two children.

W.B. Yeats received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1922 in recognition of his contributions to Irish poetry and literature. "The Lake Island of Innisfree," "The Second Coming," "Sailing to Byzantium," and "Among School Children" are some of his best-known compositions. Yeats passed away in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, on January 28, 1939.

W.B. Yeats Love of Sligo

William Butler Yeats had a deep love and connection to County Sligo, Ireland, and often wrote about its beauty and landmarks in his poetry. Sligo was the place where he spent his summers as a child and it left a lasting impression on him.

Ireland's County Sligo held a special place in William Butler Yeats' heart, and he frequently referred to its splendor and famous sites in his poetry. He spent his summers as a child in Sligo, and it made a deep impression on him.

The poem "The Stare's Nest beside My Window," which also makes mention to Sligo, notably the town of Sligo and the river Garavogue that flows through it, also makes reference to Sligo. Yeats describes the "drowsy water" of the river and the "white sunshine" of the town in his poem.

The play "The King's Threshold," which is set in the town of Sligo and makes numerous references to Sligo sights like the Sligo Abbey and Knocknarea mountain, is another example of W.B. Yeats's love of Sligo.

Overall, W.B. Yeats' poetry is replete with allusions to the scenic features and famous sites of County Sligo, demonstrating the county's special significance to him.

Places W.B. Yeats Lived

On June 13, 1865, W.B. Yeats was born in Dublin, Ireland. He traveled frequently between Dublin and London, where he attended school, during his formative years and the first part of his adult life. Yeats started spending his summers in County Sligo, Ireland, where his family had a summer home, in the 1880s.

The Rosses Point neighborhood of County Sligo, which is situated on the shore of Sligo Bay, served as the Yeats family's summer house. A well-liked tourist destination, Rosses Point is a tiny, charming settlement with a long sandy beach. The home of Yeats's family, known as "Chestnut Hill," was situated on the outskirts of the community and provided views of the Atlantic Ocean.

W.B. Yeats enjoyed many happy summers at Chestnut Hill, and County Sligo was where he first discovered his passion for poetry and literature. Later, he penned poems on his experiences in Sligo, and the county served as the basis for a lot of his writing.

W.B. Yeats started spending more time in Dublin in the 1890s and actively participated in the Irish literary rebirth. He started writing his own poems and helped form the Irish Literary Society and Rhymers' Club.

W.B. Yeats made a permanent move to London in the early 1900s and rose to prominence in the English literary world. In addition to continuing to write and publish poems, he co-founded the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, which went on to become a significant hub for Irish drama.

W.B. Yeats received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1922, and in 1923 he was elected as a senator of the Irish Free State. Until his death at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, on January 28, 1939, he continued to reside and work in Dublin.

Nobel Prize

William Butler Yeats received one Nobel Prize for Literature, in 1922. Each year, a person who has made a significant contribution to literature is given the Nobel Prize in Literature, which is regarded as one of the highest honours in the field.

Yeats received the Nobel Prize in 1922 in recognition of his contributions to Irish poetry and literature. His "inspired poetry, which in a highly aesthetic manner gives voice to the spirit of a complete nation," as well as his "idealistic battle towards the articulation of the fundamental principles of life," were lauded. Yeats was the first Irishman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, and his victory marked a crucial turning point in the international acceptance of Irish literature and culture.

Why Was W.B. Yeats in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin?

W.B. Yeats had traveled to Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, in order to receive medical care when he passed away. In the years before his passing, Yeats battled a number of health issues, including issues with his heart and lungs.

W.B. Yeats initially traveled to France in search of a remedy for his health problems. He stayed at the Hotel des Revoires in the small village of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin on the French Riviera for several months. Yeats' health continued to deteriorate despite the efforts of his doctors, and on January 28, 1939, he passed away in the hotel.

Laid To Rest

William Butler Yeats is buried in Drumcliffe Churchyard, County Sligo, Ireland. Drumcliffe Churchyard is located in the small village of Drumcliffe, which is situated in the northwest of County Sligo.

W.B. Yeats had a strong connection to County Sligo, as he spent his summers there as a child and it was the place that inspired much of his poetry. After his death, Yeats's body was returned to Ireland and he was buried in the churchyard at Drumcliffe, near the grave of his ancestor, the Irish chieftain Owen Roe O'Neill.

The grave is marked by a simple headstone that bears W.B. Yeats's name and the dates of his birth and death. The grave is now a popular tourist attraction and is visited by many people each year who come to pay their respects to the famous Irish poet.

W.B. Yeats's headstone is inscribed with the following words:

"Cast a cold Eye
On Life, on Death.
Horseman, pass by!"

These words come from W.B. Yeats's poem "Under Ben Bulben," which was published posthumously in 1939. The poem is written in the voice of Yeats's imagined ancestor, the Irish chieftain Owen Roe O'Neill, and is a reflection on life, death, and the passing of time. The lines on the headstone are a truncated version of the final stanza of the poem.

The headstone also bears W.B. Yeats's name and the dates of his birth and death: June 13, 1865 - January 28, 1939. The grave is located in Drumcliffe Churchyard, County Sligo, Ireland.