W. B. Yeats Research Paper

When one thinks of poetry, art very seldom comes to mind. However, art and poetry can be compared with many similarities. An artist has a vision of what their piece is going to be as soon as they begin making it, but as time goes on, this vision may change due to the technique they use. For example, in pottery, the clay forms different paths as the potter shapes the clay. A woodcarver may begin to carve one thing and end up with a totally different object. Similarly, a poet may have an idea of what poem he or she wants to write, but the poem may also be based on the author’s identity and concerns. One such poet, William Butler Yeats, demonstrates this well. William Butler Yeats’ Irish identity shapes his poetry by focusing on subjects that pertain to Ireland and its people. William Yeats’ love and concern for Ireland began at a young age. Although he was born in
He was an Irish poet and playwright who possessed a passionate feeling of Irish Nationalism. This Irish identity constantly shaped his role as a writer in society. He wrote about subjects pertaining to Irish Heritage and remembered the men that helped and served that country. Through the poems “September 1913”, “Easter 1916”, and “Under Ben Bulben” we gain a sense of what Yeats’ Irish identity meant to him. He wrote about subjects that deeply affected the Irish people, motivating them to take action and make changes. There were times when he felt disappointed in the Irishmen, but all that was cast off after the 1916 rebellion. He saw light at the end of the tunnel, one that kept growing brighter and brighter, until he witnessed Ireland’s freedom from Britain in 1922. Yeats’ Irish identity shaped his whole life and he surrounded himself with people who also shared the same sense of identity. It is this identity, his Irish identity, which shaped the majority of his