Yeats and Irish Cultural Literary Revival - Essay Example

Contribution of Yeats to the Irish cultural literary revival Inserts His/Her Inserts Grade Inserts Name Customer inserts date W. B Yeats, one of the greatest English poets of the present century expressed romantic tradition in his early poems influenced by Blake, Spenser, and John Keats. William Butler Yeats is often considered as the founding member of both the Abby theatre and the National Dramatic Society. The term Irish Literary Revival is closely related to the rebirth of Irish literary works and it started at 1990s. Restoration of Irish pride and cultural identity is visible in Yeast’s literary works. W.B. Yates was drawn to the Irish freedom movement and became one of its central figures. Yeast’s rich knowledge about Irish myths and legends and his meetings with Freedom fighters like John .O. Leary inspired him to write about the concept of Nationalist Ireland. Online article titled Irish Literary Revival gives relevant ideas about the Irish Literary Revival. It remarks; “But it was the Revival, and the Abbey Theatre, in particular, that brought the movement to redeem Irish culture and language from the closed councils of a few, to the mainstream life of the common person” (Usher, M., Jeremy, 2000). Researchers and historians have mentioned that both Abby theatre and the National Dramatic Society have played a significant role in literary revival. These two institutions have paved the way for new poets and dramatists in to the new world of literature. In his online article entitled Irelands Literary Revival: The Story of Irish Literatures Renaissance: Yeats, Synge, OCasey, Mike Gerrald comments : “It was a period when people including WB Yeats, JM Synge, George Bernard Shaw and Sean OCasey were writing” (Gerrard, Mike, 2007). Literary researchers mentioned that Yeats helped to drive out the existing political and cultural superiority of Britain in Ireland. Yeats and his followers have broken the shadow of British dominance in the field of Irish literature and they found the soul of Irish literature. Through his literarily works W.B Yeats had explored social, cultural and political tradition and diversity of Ireland. His poems have provided a new spirit of nationality to the people in Ireland lead the formation of various national organizations. The web article entitled W.B. Yeats and the Irish Literary Revival helps the reader to understand more about Yeast’s contribution in Irish literary revival. It comments that; “Yeats and the Literary Revival did indeed contribute to the formation of the new sense of national identity that was also being promoted by agencies such as the Gaelic Athletic Association and the Gaelic League” (W.B. Yeats and the Irish Literary Revival, n. d). Yeats and his followers have afforded a new sense of confidence which would persuade the people to fight for a new land. As a result of the joint venture with Lady Gregory Yeats wrote many plays based on Irish Falk tales and mythologies for the Irish Literary Theatre. Yeats tried to understand and acquire the pulse of world literature, new literary movements, new writers and their contributions. Horatio Sheafe Krans comments: “They have been and are now, putting in to English the old romances written in the Irish language, and the folk-lore that still up on the lips of the Irish speaking peasants” (Krans, Sheafe, Horatio, 2005). Yeast’s sincere efforts become clear through his literary works. He himself produced works and he forced his followers to contribute much for the Irish literary revival. Yeats renamed the Dun Emer press and published several works during the time of literary revival. The online article entitled William Butler Yeats Biography – Poems remarks that; “The press published over 70 titles, most (48) from William Butler himself” (William Butler Yeats Biography – Poems, 2008) Yeast’s poem The Song of Wandering Aengus reveals the story of the Irish love God Aengus. Analyzing the poem one can find that the readers have enjoyed the extreme beauty of romance and imagination in these love poems. Here it is clear for a reader that not only Irish nationalism but various topics became the major theme of Yeast’s works and all of them have its own contribution in literary revival. Yeast’s poem ‘Easter 1916’ explores his attitude towards the Easter Rising in Dublin on 1916. In this poem Yeats hails the dead patriots and calls them national heroes. Poet constitutes several images and symbols in his poem which explores Irish culture and nationality. Analyzing the poem one can see that Yeats describes Patric Pearse, one of the freedom fighter in Irish freedom movement in to winged horse. In Greek mythology Peagasus is considered as the horse of poetry. Poet writes; “This man had kept a school/And rode our winged horse” (Yeats, Easter 1916, Lines 24-25). Yeats winds the poem up with the lines: “Wherever green is worn, /Are changed, changed utterly: A terrible beauty is born” (Yeats, Easter 1916, Lines 78-79). The green referred here is the national flag of Ireland which shows the national color. Through the beautiful oxymoron, ‘terrible beauty’ Yeats declares Ireland’s freedom fight. After his marriage Yeats’ poetry had changed immensely and a reader can find that the poet had used complex images, philosophical thoughts, and provided rare aesthetic pleasure through his works. The online article entitled” Sailing to Byzantium” William Butler Yeats comments : “In Sailing to Byzantium, the artist/speaker transforms himself into a work of art, and, in so doing, obscures the distinction between form and content and the artist and his work” (“Sailing to Byzantium” William Butler Yeats, n. d.). Yeast’s poem Sailing to Byzantium provides the story of an old man’s journey to the city of Byzantium. The poem is filled with complex images and extreme symbolism. Innovative use of romanticism helps the reader to reach a world of wild imagination and mythical encounter. The use of rare images and marvelous blending of these images paved the way for a new culture of literature in Ireland. Yeats explains the mythical city Byzantium which represents the mythical backgrounds of Ireland. Epifanio San Juan asserts; “The city provides a center for meditation, an enclosure for discipline and study for decorum in speech and the fulfillment of function” (Juan, San, Epifanio, 1979). Analyzing the history a reader can easily find that the reality that Irish literary revival has a strong relation with national or international politics. In his book named Yeats, the Irish literary revival and the politics of print, Yug Mohit Chaudhry points out; “When Yeats speaks of ‘nationality’ and’ Irish feeling’ , he is not referring merely to patriotism” (Yug, Mohit, Chaudhry, 2001). Innovative movements and literary experiments in world literature have influenced Yeast’s works and through his works Yeats inspired other writers in his age. The journal article entitled Modern Irish And Anglo-Irish Literature And The Arts Since 1800 notices that “The principal concerns present in Yeast’s work are Irish mythology, Ireland of the revolutionary and post revolutionary periods with its attendant heroes and villains, and the poets preoccupations with love, mortality, and his search for immortality through mysticism and art” (Gale, Thomson, 2004). After 1887 Yeats’ family migrated to London and he concentrated most of his time in to literary works and reading. In this time Yeats made a serious study about the romantic poems written by various poets such as William Blake, Shelley and John Keats. The knowledge about romanticism had deeply influenced Yeats’ literary craftsmanship and it contributed much on the rebirth of Irish literature. Yeats’ literary experiments had concentrated not only in the political background but the creative field of literature as well. Yeats and his followers believed that the rebirth of Irish literary world can help them to reach a desirable status among world literature. In his book entitled James Joyce and nationalism Emer Nolan help the reader to think about Yeats’ effort in literary field. Author remarks; “Yeats himself sought to create an advanced art from the materials supplied by popular imagination, and he found Ireland (as he may be recommending to the indifferent Joyce) a congenial” place for such experiment” (Nolan, Emer, 1995). Earnest Augustus Boyd comments that;” In the Irish press W.B.Yeats fought on behalf of his contemporaries , and in various articles and lectures defined the claims and principles of nationality , as opposed to political nationalism , in letters" (Boyd, Augustus, Ernest, 2009). It is crystal clear that the works of W.B Yeats and his contemporaries deserves better consideration because during the time of Irish Literary Revival Yeats and his followers had faced serious opposition from the part of Sir Gavan Duffy, who encouraged the past literary culture in Ireland. Yeats develops his literary craftsmanship through a sense of artistic generation fixed in the continuity between tribal utterance and the perceptions about the high culture. Harry White points out that; “Yeats never deviated from his perception of that continuity, however frequently he despaired of its survival against the filthy modern tide” (White, Harry, 2009). W. B. Yeats felt absolute pleasure in writing poetry and drama. The most significant fact is that he is not only the dominant figure of Irish literary revival but he himself wrote woks and inspires others to write. Mathew Bell remarks; “By placing importance on the Irish culture in his work, Yeats fulfilled his own sense of national pride to the delight of his readers and audiences and to the chagrin of many of his English contemporaries who felt that nothing of value or worthy of study could come out of Ireland” (Bell, Matthew, n. d.). Even though Yeats’ plays and poems forcefully influenced his followers some of the English contemporaries have failed to find it valuable. To conclude, the process of Irish Literary Revival is considered as the rebirth of Irish literature and W. B Yeats nurtured it with rich tradition and culture. Yeats traveled his literary journey through the Abby theatre and the National Dramatic Society. Innovative literary techniques, complex images, material philosophy, and rare aesthetic pleasure pulled Y. B Yeats in to the central of Irish Literary Revival. Reference List Bell, Matthew (n. d.).Yeats, Nationalism, and Myth [Online] Available from: http://writing.colostate.edu/gallery/phantasmagoria/bell.htm [Accessed 22nd Mar 2010]. Boyd, Augustus, Ernest. (2009) Irelands Literary Renaissance, BiblioBazaar, LLC. p.90 Gale, Thomson. (2004) Modern Irish and Anglo-Irish literature and the arts since 1800 [Online] Available from: http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/eich_01/eich_01_00033.html [Accessed 22nd Mar 2010]. Gerrard, Mike. (2007) Irelands Literary Revival: The Story of Irish Literatures Renaissance: Yeats, Synge, OCasey [Online] Available from: http://ireland-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/irelands_literary_revival [Accessed 22nd Mar 2010]. Juan, San, Epifanio. (1979). Poetics: the imitation of action: essays in interpretation, Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, p.56 Krans, Sheafe, Horatio. (2005) William Butler Yeats and the Irish Literary Revival, Kessinger Publishing. P. 11-12 Nolan, Emer. (1995) James Joyce and nationalism, Routledge. p.23 “Sailing to Byzantium” William Butler Yeats. (n. d.). [Online] Available from: http://www.enotes.com/poetry-criticism/sailing-byzantium-william-butler-yeats [Accessed 22nd Mar 2010]. Usher, M., Jeremy. (2000) Irish Literary Revival [Online] Available from: http://www.galway1.ie/faq/revival.htm [Accessed 22nd Mar 2010]. W.B. Yeats and the Irish Literary Revival. (n. d). [Online] Available from: http://www.nli.ie/1916/pdf/3.4.3.pdf [Accessed 22nd Mar 2010]. W.B. Yeats (2008) Easter Rising 1916 [Online] Available from: http://www.easter1916.net/peom.htm [Accessed 22nd Mar 2010]. William Butler Yeats Biography – Poems. (2008) [Online] Available from: http://www.poemofquotes.com/williambutleryeats/[Accessed 22nd Mar 2010]. White, Harry. (2009) Music and the Irish Literary Imagination, Oxford University Press US. p.99 Yug, Mohit, Chaudhry. (2001)Yeats, the Irish literary revival and the politics of print, Cork University Press. 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