Junior Cycle Exhibition Tour of Yeats: The Life and Works

Summary

This virtual tour, led by Katie from the National Library of Ireland, explores the life and works of William Butler Yeats, focusing on his personal history, literary development, and cultural contributions. Through a collection of over 2,000 items, the exhibition delves into Yeats’s early life, his family, key relationships—including his muse Maud Gonne—and his deep connection to Irish folklore and nationalism. The tour also highlights his evolution as a poet, his role in the Irish literary renaissance, and his legacy, concluding with his final works and burial in Sligo. It's an insightful journey through the rich history of one of Ireland’s greatest poets.

Takeaways

• 📚 The National Library of Ireland holds the largest Yeats collection in the world—over 2,000 items donated by the Yeats family, now available to the public.
• 👪 Yeats came from a highly creative family: father John Butler Yeats was a painter, brother Jack a notable artist, and sisters Lily and Lolly ran textile/printing workshops.
• 🏫 Early school records show Yeats was an unremarkable student (poor spelling, messy handwriting), yet he became a major poet — a reminder that early grades don’t determine later achievement.
• 🌊 Sligo’s folklore and landscape profoundly shaped Yeats’s early work; local tales of fairies and banshees appear in poems like “The Stolen Child.”
• ✉️ Surviving drafts and manuscripts reveal Yeats’s creative process—lines and phrasing changed between drafts and published versions (e.g., edits in “The Stolen Child”).
• 💔 Maud Gonne was Yeats’s most famous muse and unrequited love; their relationship inspired many poems, including love lyrics written after proposals were refused.
• 🎭 Lady Augusta Gregory was a key collaborator and patron; together with Yeats she co-founded the Irish (later Abbey) Theatre and helped shape modern Irish drama.
• 🎼 Yeats championed poetry as an oral art: he experimented with chanting and even commissioned a unique instrument to accompany recitation, believing poetry should be heard aloud.
• ⚔️ The 1916 Easter Rising deeply affected Yeats personally and artistically—he wrote the famous poem ‘Easter 1916’ and grappled with its political and human consequences.
• 🏆 In 1923 Yeats won the Nobel Prize for Literature and later served in the Irish Senate, contributing to cultural projects like Irish currency design and securing state subsidy for the Abbey Theatre.
• 💑 Georgie Hyde-Lees (his wife) became an essential creative partner and archivist, saving drafts and organizing material that later enriched the Library’s collection.
• ⚰️ In later life Yeats wrote his own funeral instructions (e.g., “Under Ben Bulben”), died in France on 28 January 1939, and was reburied in Drumcliff, Sligo in 1948 with lines from his poem carved on his tomb.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the National Library of Ireland's online exhibition on William Butler Yeats?

The exhibition aims to make available highlights from the library's vast collection of over 2,000 Yeats-related items, offering the public insight into Yeats's life, works, and the themes he explored, including folklore, theater, and politics.

What was significant about the Yates family’s contribution to the collection?

The Yates family donated over 2,000 items to the collection, making it the largest collection of Yeats-related books and manuscripts in the world. These items were donated over many years, showcasing Yeats’s personal and professional development.

How was Yeats's early education and academic performance reflected in his school report?

Yeats's school report, written when he was 12 years old, described him as only 'fair' in general work and noted that he was 'very poor in spelling.' Despite these challenges, his later success as a poet shows that these early difficulties did not hinder his creativity.

How did Yeats’s exposure to folklore influence his writing?

Yeats’s exposure to folklore, especially from his childhood in Sligo, had a profound influence on his work. He was inspired by stories of fairies and banshees, which are directly referenced in poems like 'The Stolen Child,' showcasing the role of folklore in shaping his poetry.

What role did Maud Gonne play in Yeats's life and poetry?

Maud Gonne was a central muse for Yeats, inspiring much of his poetry, including his famous work 'He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven.' Despite Yeats’s multiple proposals to her, she never agreed to marry him, though they maintained a lifelong friendship. Her beauty and ideals significantly influenced his work.

What is the significance of the poem 'The Stolen Child' in understanding Yeats's early work?

'The Stolen Child' exemplifies Yeats’s early exploration of Irish folklore, featuring a refrain that invites a child to leave the sorrowful world for a life with fairies. This poem reflects Yeats’s deep connection to the mythology and landscape of Sligo.

What collaboration between Yeats and Lady Augusta Gregory helped shape the Irish cultural scene?

Yeats and Lady Augusta Gregory collaborated to found the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, which became a cornerstone of Irish culture and national identity. Gregory was a patron and mentor to Yeats, and their shared love of Irish folklore led to important plays such as 'Kathleen ni Houlihan,' which became a symbol of Irish nationalism.

What were Yeats's contributions to Irish nationalism beyond his poetry?

In addition to his poetry, Yeats actively contributed to Irish nationalism by campaigning against censorship, supporting the Irish literary movement, and helping to design the currency for the newly established Irish Free State. His involvement in national politics also extended to his role as a senator in the Irish Free State.

How did Yeats's relationship with George Hyde Lees influence his later work?

George Hyde Lees, whom Yeats married in 1917, became an important creative partner. She helped inspire much of Yeats's later work, which many scholars consider his finest. She also played a vital role in organizing his literary estate and facilitating the donation of his collection to the National Library.

What personal and professional challenges did Yeats face in the early 1900s?

In the early 1900s, Yeats faced personal challenges such as the rejection of his marriage proposals by Maud Gonne and the emotional turmoil surrounding her marriage to John McBride. Professionally, he dealt with the complex cultural and political changes in Ireland, which influenced his poetry, such as in the powerful work 'Easter 1916.'