W.B. Yeats

In 1895, the thirty-year-old W.B. Yeats, already established as one of Ireland's leading poets and folklorists, published this outstanding collection of Irish verse as part of his campaign to establish a tradition of Irish poetry fit for the dawn of a new age in Ireland's history. This Routledge Classics edition, complete with a specially commissioned introduction by acclaimed writer and...

The present selection traces the development of Yeats’s verse, encompassing the poet’s interest in Irish folklore and national identity, his engagement with the political situation of his day, and the rich symbolism that is the hallmark of his work. This symbolism is a reflection of his lifelong fascination with the occult. Selected Poems contains some of his best-known pieces, including...