William Butler Yates: Biography and Creativity

William Butler Yeats is known as the largestan English-speaking poet of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, who did much to transform the poetic style, and also as a playwright, essayist and prose writer. In the list of books recommended by Hemingway for compulsory reading to young authors, the "Autobiography" of Yeats was also indicated. His poetry was honored by eminent translators. Not only as a poet showed himself to William Butler Yeats. His poems, of course, are very valuable, but William Butler is known as a playwright. The concept of Yates' dramaturgy had a strong influence on Thomas Eliot, who characterized the work of his predecessor as "an integral part of the spirit of our age."

Origin, youth and features of early creativity

The English-speaking poet of interest to us was born inthe capital of Ireland, in the family of a famous artist who belonged to the Pre-Raphaelite school (to which, by the way, the Kipling family was also close). He did not get any decent formal education, but he did a lot on his own. He was too keen on literature.

The first verses are marked by the strong influence of Shelley andSpencer. He began to write them back in 1882, and the first publication dates back to 1885. Then, in 1885, William participated in the organization of the Dublin Alchemical Society, engaged in occult sciences. Interest to them will remain with the poet for life.

William started publishing at the age of 20, and another 4year published the first book of poems. Brought up on the ideas of the Pre-Raphaelites, the young man, he said, experienced "monkey hatred" to the rationality and practicality of modernity. It seemed to him that poetry was struck by this pestilence, he sought salvation in symbolism, believing that the image of beauty hidden from our eyes can not be recreated differently than by resorting to the use of symbols. However, even then Yeats demanded from the art not only the emotional impact on the reader, but also the influence of the moral.

Educational activities

A lot of power the poet gave enlightenmentactivities. In 1891, he organized the Irish Literary Society in London, then the National Irish Union in Dublin, participated energetically in the work of the Society of Poetry, took care of the popularization of Irish folklore. One of his accomplishments was the creation of the so-called Gaelic League - a social union aimed at the development of the Irish national culture, the revival of the indigenous language and the transition to literature based on popular traditions.

The Irish people have a difficult history. "Green Island" was inhabited by Celtic tribes in the IV century BC. In modern times, in the XII century, Ireland fell under the rule of England. Only in 1921 it received the status of dominion, and in 1949 - independence. Northern Ireland, often called Ulster, stayed with the British. Alien domination was cruel, the laws did not allow the Irish to use their native language under pain of death. By the middle of the last century, the struggle for their culture and language was complicated by mass emigration; Now the Irish live abroad as much as in Ireland. The number of those who use their native language has declined. Even now, when the situation is straightening, in Irish is spoken less than a quarter of the citizens.

"Irish literary revival"

The struggle with the decline of culture and set its taskthe Irish literary revival movement, within which the Gaelic League arose, and the beginning of which is associated with the publication in 1893 of a poetic collection, written by William Yeats (Celtic Twilight). The participants of the movement did not reduce its purpose to narrow-language problems, and many of them, including William, wrote in English. "Gaelic is my national, but not my native language," said William Butler Yates. Quotations it was often used to propagate this movement. The tasks of the "Irish literary revival" were large-scale - to awaken the national spirit, to preserve national traditions, to defend the independence of the country's culture.

Creation of the Irish Literary Theater

As part of the movement, William Butler Yeats founded inIn 1899, the Irish Literary Theater in Dublin and was its director almost to death, about 40 years. He worked on the repertoire for his theater himself, turning to problems mainly to the national epic and native history. Here Yeats was the biggest innovator. He managed to create a kind of concept of "poetic theater," the antithesis of the dominance of naturalism.

Personal life and love poems

In poetry, which became Yeats' main vocation, healso constantly in search. His early work was rooted in mythology and was fueled by the idea of ​​"Eternal Beauty." Reality hardly attracted the poet. A kind of tragic color in the poetry of Yeats brought love. At the age of 24, he met the young beautiful Maud Goni, an actress and revolutionary, and for many years he had passionate feelings for her that remained undivided. Only in 52 years, for the fourth time having received a refusal from Maud to unite their lives, William Butler Yeats started a family. "He thirsts for a heavenly cloak ..." - this is the name of one of his poems related to love lyrics. By the way, the lines from it sound at the beginning of the movie "Equilibrium". Many do not know that their author is William Butler Yeats. “But I am a poor man, and I have only dreams,” says the lyrical hero of this poem, complaining that he cannot spread heavenly silk at the feet of his beloved.

Confessional and civil poetry

Over time, in the works of Yeats emergedfracture. "Eternal Beauty", poems about love - all this gradually faded into the past. Beginning with the collection Responsibility (1914), William Butler increasingly tends to confess and civic poetry. The poems of the collection convey a tense social atmosphere. In the ever-turbulent Catholic Ireland, there was accumulation of discontent with the domination of Protestant England. The crisis was resolved by the Dublin uprising of 1916. Ireland declared itself a republic, but the insurgents lasted only five days. William Butler Yeats was at this time in London, and the events came as a complete surprise to him, but they left a deep imprint on his mind.

It took a painful reassessment of the past. Instead of mythology mixed with mysticism, Yeats’s history includes the history of the country with its real heroes. The bloody reality of the uprising that claimed 450 lives, the death of its leaders prompted the poet to abandon the sublime aristocracy, to take a fresh look at people.

The tragic tonality of the lyrics

Life did not allow to find a firm support. The guerrilla war against the British conquerors caused a bitter disappointment in Yeats. He was overcome by the fear of a chain reaction of hatred and violence. The tragic tonality is characteristic of the majority of poems of this period. But, of course, met in the lyrics of Yeats and funny chords. An example is the poem "Violinist from Dunya".

Poet's authority

Yeats' poetry was widely accepted. Apparently, one should not look for hyperbolization in the formula of the Swedish Academy, where it is noted that his work "gives expression to the spiritual essence of the whole nation." The authority of the poet was great. From 1922 to 1928 Yeats was a member of the Irish Senate, one of three senators who advised the government on education, literature and the arts. His well-argued speeches contributed to the preservation of many national monuments. However, most of the attempts to intervene in politics did not give results, and he refused the honorary title.

Senate speeches

Yeats's Senate Speeches Judge Himassessing the role of culture in society. In one of them, he said that he had no hope for himself to see the united Ireland, to see the accession of Ulster; but he is convinced that in the end it will happen, and not because the Irish will fight for it, but because they will manage their country well. William Butler Yeats noted that this can be done by creating a culture that will represent your country and that will attract the imagination of young people.

The last decade of life and work

In the last decade, his life seemed toproceeded calmly. The Nobel Prize, which he received in 1923, was a great moral and material support. The poet is again full of spiritual and physical strength, he speaks about the approaching old age with calm humor. But this is only external calm, the spiritual life of the poet is still full of struggle. In his declining years, all the revered author, looking back at the past, thinking about the future, asks himself one more alarming than the other. Fresh themes emerge in his work, new ideas are being hatched, the poetic technique is changing. The poet constantly refutes himself. Search status did not leave it to the end.

It should also be noted that the verses relating tothe later period of his work, are more personal in nature than earlier works. In particular, they mention William’s children, and Yeats’s reflections on his aging.

The last fifteen years of his life, Yeats has beenrecognized by the national Irish poet. He was often sick, but continued to create. In the last decade of his life, he created works that are marked by outstanding skill, great passion and imagination. Among them are such collections as the Tower (1928) and the Spiral Staircase, created in 1933.

The poet died on the French Riviera, in the townCap Martin, January 28, 1939. Death came after another illness. According to the will of Yeats, which was designated in his poetic testament, in 1948 his remains were reburied in Ireland.

Disputes around the personality and creativity of the poet

Abrupt transitions were characteristic ofYeats-artist throughout the nearly 60-year career. He often refused to achieve, change and vary his works. The facts of Yeats' life and literary biography are also contradictory. All his life he was fond of mystical teachings. This was reflected in his work. In particular, spiritualism was fond of William Yeats. "Vision" - a book published in 1925, in which the author interprets psychological and historical moments from the position of mysticism. At one time, William Butler even believed primitive fascist demagogy.

Accordingly, critics' judgments about hisideological positions often mutually exclude one another: Yeats is either a revolutionary, then a reactionary, then a traditionalist, or a modernist. Judgments are supported by references to articles, statements, poetic lines. The controversy surrounding the personality and creativity of William Butler Yeats has become a tradition. One thing is clear - he was a man constantly striving towards new spiritual entities. And it was this property that prompted him to create a new form and content of poetry, which became an integral part of modern culture.