W.B. Yeats Poetry Essay - 2306 Words

W.B. Yeats Poetry Many literary critics have observed that over the course of W. B. Yeats’ poetic career, readers can perceive a distinct change in the style of his writing. Most notably, he appears to adopt a far more cynical tone in the poems he generated in the later half of his life than in his earlier pastoral works. This somewhat depressing trend is often attributed to the fact that he is simply becoming more conservative and pessimistic in his declining years, but in truth it represents a far more significant change in his life. Throughout Yeats’ career, the poet is constantly trying to determine exactly what inspires him; early on, in such poems as â€Å"The Lake Isle of Innisfree† and â€Å"The Wild Swans at Coole,† Yeats obviously†¦show more content†¦Using slow-moving gentle lines, the poet infuses the poem itself with tranquility. The scene depicted and language used are both purely pastoral, and he simply tries to describe to his reader the fact th at nature is always with him, always providing inspiration and peace of mind in his somewhat chaotic life. In order to best portray the setting, Yeats repeatedly employs natural language and objects, even in the title itself (â€Å"Lake Isle†). His â€Å"small cabin ... of clay and wattles made† (3) and â€Å"Nine bean-rows† (4) conjure forth echoes of Walden Pond, where Thoreau set out to get in touch with nature and live the simple life, just as Yeats advocates doing now. And just as Thoreau before him, Yeats seeks a place of peace and tranquility that is untainted by the chaotic mess of civilization where he can focus on pure art. However, Yeats breaks from his predecessor’s ideal in that he has not moved off to live this life yet; he constantly reminds the reader of this by his repeated use of the phrase â€Å"I will arise and go now† (1 and 9). Instead, he claims that he already holds this place in his heart, and thus he can â€Å"always night and day / ... hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore† (9-10). Although he doesn’t have his little cabin yet, it still provides him with poetic inspiration, even as he lives in the modern city separated from all thisShow MoreRelated The Poetry of W.B. Yeats Essay examples2304 Words   |  10 PagesW.B. Yeats, a key figure of the modernist movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, was born in Dublin in 1865. Although spending much of his childhood and youth in London, Yeats is seen as an inherently Irish literary figure. Through his early work, employing not only ancient Greek myth, but also Celtic legend, he sought to re-ignite in Ireland notions of heritage and tradition, which had diminished through the years. In Ireland, from around 1890 onwards, there was a very noticeableRead More W.B. 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