Discuss the personal elements of Yeats’s poetry.
The Lake Isle of Innisfree is a notable literary work by William Butler Yeats. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of The Lake Isle of Innisfree.
Answer
Discuss the personal elements of Yeats’s poetry.
Literature is the mirror of society. Every poet writes their literary works from personal experience and a far-reaching perspective. W. B. Yeats (1865 – 1939) had a long literary career and wrote his works by gathering his experiences from different perspectives. Critics have tried to find out his source of success, and they have understood that the power of his personal elements has made him more significant and successful. The personal elements of Yeats’ poetry are discussed here concerning his poems.
The Subject Matter of His Poems: The subject matter of Yeats’ many poems is taken from his personal life. The poems directly related to his personal life are “A Prayer for My Daughter, No Second Troy, Easter 1916, and Sailing to Byzantium“.
Vain Nature of the Beautiful Women: In commenting on the vain nature of the beautiful woman, Yeats hints at the behaviour of Maud Gonne, the attractive girl he loved but failed to marry. Yeats had a lifelong passion for Maud Gonne, and many of his poems reference her. In poems such as “A Prayer for My Daughter, No Second Troy and Easter 1916”, he talks about Maud Gonne. In most poems, we find a blend of passion and censure for his long-loved woman.
In the poem “A Prayer for My Daughter”, he criticizes Maud Gonne, and in the destructive situation, he describes his concern for his daughter’s future. He also prays for his daughter that his daughter should not have extreme beauty like Helen and Maud Gonne and will be married to an aristocratic family. Now, we realize that the futile nature of beautiful girls is universal, and these stupid types of women suffer a lot.
Patriotic Initiative: Yeats is an Irish nationalist poet. His sense of nationalism and patriotism is evident in “Easter 1916”. Here, the poet pays tribute to the Irish nationalists who gave their lives for the interests of their country. Yeats mentions some of his acquaintances among these nationalists. It mayUnlock this study guide now