Introduction

The Poetry of W. B. Yeats

In this course, Dr Peter Howarth (Queen Mary, University of London) explores the poetry of W. B. Yeats through six key poems: 'An Irish Airman Foresees his Death', 'Easter, 1916', 'Leda and the Swan', 'No Second Troy', 'The Cold Heaven', and 'Sailing to Byzantium'. As we move through the course, we think about why Yeats wrote the poetry he did – looking in particular at his passion for Ireland, his obsession with Maud Gonne, and his interest in philosophy and the occult.

Introduction

In this module, we think about some of the key preoccupations in Yeats' life and poetry: his passion for Ireland, his obsession with Maud Gonne, and his interest in the occult. In particular, we think about his engagement with the concepts of opposition and balance, especially in the poem 'An Irish Airman Foresees his Death'.