William Butler Yeats Biography and Video | Poet
William Butler Yeats, often considered one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature, was born in Sandymount Castle, Dublin (Ireland), on June 13, 1865. Mr. Yeats was the son of a woman who descended from a wealthy family of merchants, Susan Pollexfen, and the son of a man who was a painter, John Butler Yeats. William had two sisters named Lolly and Lily, and a brother named Jack B., a very prominent painter of his time.
Childhood
The Yeats family decided to depart for London within two years of Susan giving birth to William, but in 1872, William came back home and decided to live with his grandparents in County Sligo. He returned to England in 1874 to study at the Godolphin School in Hammersmith.
At the age of fifteen, William returned to Ireland and began attending the Erasmus Smith Institute. Later, at the School of Art in Dublin, he delved into the world of painting. It was here that he met George Russell, a writer whose love for esotericism and mysticism was contagious. This influence would shape much of Yeats's future work. Together with Charles Johnson, they founded the Hermetic Society of Dublin, a testament to their shared passion for the mystical.
Early Adulthood

At twenty-two, William Butler Yeats returned to London, England. This time, he met Madame Helena P. Blavatsky in this city, who was mainly responsible for the Theosophical Society. After some time, this well-known poet decided to leave the Theosophical Society to join the Golden Dawn, an occult society led by S.L. MacGregor Mathers. Aleister Crowley was one of the leading members of this occult society.
The Women in His Life
Yeats's Muse
William Butler Yeats's greatest love was Maud Gonne. He was so deeply in love with her that he did everything in his power to marry her, even when she married someone else and started a family. Mrs. Gonne's daughter, Iseult, became Mr. Yeats's muse, but in the end, he was never able to win either of them.
Lady Gregory
Another significant woman in William Butler Yeats's life was writer Gregory Isabella Augusta, known as Lady Gregory. Together, they created the Abbey Theatre in 1901, a testament to their shared passion for literature and the arts.
Georgie Hyde-Lees
For this Irish author, emotional stability arrived in 1917 when he married the medium Georgie Hyde-Lees. American poet Ezra Pound, who worked as their personal secretary, was the godfather of the wedding.
Most Famous Works
William Butler Yeats is best known for his poetry and literary works. Some of his most famous works include "The Tower," "The Wild Swans at Coole," "Easter 1916," "The Second Coming," and "Sailing to Byzantium." These works are celebrated for their lyrical beauty, deep symbolism, and profound exploration of Irish identity and history.
Later Life
William Butler Yeats was elected senator in 1922, a position he held until 1928. In 1923, he received the Nobel Prize. At seventy-three, he died in the French town of Menton on January 28, 1939.
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