Trace Yeats’ changing attitude to contemporary Irish revolutionaries
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
Trace Yeats’ changing attitude to contemporary Irish revolutionaries. [NU: 2017]
W.B. Yeats (1865–1939) was a famous Irish poet. In his poem Easter 1916 (1920), he writes about the Irish men and women who fought in the Easter Rising against British rule. At first, Yeats did not like them. But later, he began to respect them. The poem shows how his thoughts changed.
At First, Yeats Did Not Like the Revolutionaries: In the beginning, Yeats thought the Revolutionaries were foolish people. He saw them every day and did not take them seriously. So he says,
“I have passed with a nod of the head
Or polite meaningless words…”
He thought their talk about freedom was just noise. He believed they were not great leaders.
Yeats Was Shocked by Their Deaths: When the British killed the revolutionaries, Yeats was surprised. Their deaths changed his mind. He saw that they had great courage. They gave their lives for Ireland. Yeats writes,
“All changed, changed utterly:
A terrible beauty is born.”
This line shows that Yeats saw something beautiful and sad in their sacrifice. He began to respect their bravery.
Yeats Showed Honor and Respect at the End: At the end of the poem, Yeats mentioned the names of the dead heroes like MacDonagh, MacBride (Husband of Maud Gonne), Connolly, and Pearse. He honors their memory. He sees that they made Ireland’s history. He says people will always remember them. He no longer sees them as silly people. He sees them as heroes.
Yeats’ thoughts about the Irish fighters changed a lot. At first, he did not respect them. But their brave deaths touched his heart.