W. B. Yeats – First Edition Books: Identification Points

William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939) was an English-language Irish poet, dramatist, prose writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. A pillar of the Irish literary establishment, he helped to found the Abbey Theatre, and in his later years served two terms as a Senator of the Irish Free State. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival along with Lady Gregory, Edward Martyn and others.

Yeats was born in Sandymount, Ireland, and educated there and in London. He was a Protestant and member of the Anglo-Irish community. He spent childhood holidays in County Sligo and studied poetry from an early age, when he became fascinated by Irish legends and the occult. These topics feature in the first phase of his work, which lasted roughly until the turn of the 20th century. His earliest volume of verse was published in 1889, and its slow-paced and lyrical poems display debts to Edmund Spenser, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and the poets of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. From 1900, his poetry grew more physical and realistic. He largely renounced the transcendental beliefs of his youth, though he remained preoccupied with physical and spiritual masks, as well as with cyclical theories of life.

Raised in a creative and intellectually stimulating environment, Yeats was surrounded by artists, writers, and political thinkers from a young age. His father, John Butler Yeats, was a talented painter, and his artistic family nurtured his love for literature and the arts. Early on, Yeats developed a fascination with Irish folklore and the supernatural, which would greatly influence his poetic style.

Yeats co-founded the Rhymers’ Club in 1890, a literary group dedicated to the revival of traditional poetic forms. During this time, he established connections with fellow writers such as Lionel Johnson and Ernest Dowson, who shared his interest in symbolism and aestheticism. These influences would shape the development of his poetic voice.

One of Yeats’ most important poems is “The Second Coming,” written in 1919. This iconic work is a reflection on the tumultuous post-World War I era, where the world seemed to be in a state of chaos and uncertainty. It is widely regarded as a powerful and prophetic portrayal of the troubled times, with its famous lines, “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.” The poem explores themes of societal collapse, the loss of spiritual values, and the emergence of a new order.

Another significant poem by Yeats is “Easter, 1916,” written in response to the Easter Rising in Ireland, a pivotal event in the country’s struggle for independence from British rule. Published in 1921, the poem mourns the loss of the leaders of the uprising and reflects on the changing political landscape of Ireland. It captures the conflicting emotions of Yeats as he grapples with his own shifting perspectives and the sacrifice made by those who fought for Ireland’s freedom.

In 1923, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, “for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation”. He was aware of the symbolic value of an Irish winner so soon after Ireland had gained independence, and sought to highlight the fact at each available opportunity. His reply to many of the letters of congratulations sent to him contained the words: “I consider that this honour has come to me less as an individual than as a representative of Irish literature, it is part of Europe’s welcome to the Free State.”

W. B. Yeats is considered one of the key twentieth-century English-language poets. He was a Symbolist poet, using allusive imagery and symbolic structures throughout his career. He chose words and assembled them so that, in addition to a particular meaning, they suggest abstract thoughts that may seem more significant and resonant. His use of symbols is usually something physical that is both itself and a suggestion of other, perhaps immaterial, timeless qualities.

Unlike the modernists who experimented with free verse, Yeats was a master of the traditional forms. The impact of modernism on his work can be seen in the increasing abandonment of the more conventionally poetic diction of his early work in favour of the more austere language and more direct approach to his themes that increasingly characterises the poetry and plays of his middle period, comprising the volumes In the Seven Woods, Responsibilities and The Green Helmet. His later poetry and plays are written in a more personal vein, and the works written in the last twenty years of his life include mention of his son and daughter, as well as meditations on the experience of growing old. In his poem, “The Circus Animals’ Desertion”, he describes the inspiration for these late works:

Now that my ladder’s gone
I must lie down where all the ladders start
In the foul rag and bone shop of the heart.

Throughout his life, Yeats remained committed to Irish nationalism and cultural revival. His works served as a rallying call for Irish independence, while also transcending national borders and resonating with readers around the world.

W. B. Yeats’ legacy continues to endure, with his poetry celebrated for its profound insights, vivid imagery, and evocative language. His two most important poems, “The Second Coming” and “Easter, 1916,” exemplify his ability to capture the spirit of his time and offer timeless reflections on the human condition. Yeats’ contributions to literature and his unwavering dedication to his craft have secured his place as one of the greatest poets of the 20th century.

William B. Yeats is commemorated in Sligo town by a statue, created in 1989 by sculptor Rowan Gillespie. On the 50th anniversary of the poet’s death, it was erected outside the Ulster Bank.

W. B. Yeats – First Editions Identification Guide

A selected Bibliography of William Butler Yeats works.

W. B. Yeats – First Printing Dust Jackets Identification Guide

Gallery of First state Dust Jackets of ‘s works. Only includes the first appearance in book form, of the UK or US edition and does not include later printings.

Reference:

• Wikipedia
• Allan Wade: A Bibliography of the Writings of W. B. Yeats, 3rd edition.