The Yeats Reader, Revised Edition: A Portable Compendium of Poetry, Drama, and Prose

by W.B. Yeats, Richard J. Finneran (Editor)

Throughout his long life, William Butler Yeats -- Irish writer and premier lyric poet in English in this century -- produced important works in every literary genre, works of astonishing range, energy, erudition, beauty, and skill. His early poetry is memorable and moving. His poems and plays of middle age address the human condition with language that has entered our vocabulary for cataclysmic personal and world events. The writings of his final years offer wisdom, courage, humor, and sheer technical virtuosity. T. S. Eliot pronounced Yeats "the greatest poet of our time -- certainly the greatest in this language, and so far as I am able to judge, in any language" and "one of the few whose history is the history of their own time, who are a part of the consciousness of an age which cannot be understood without them."

The Yeats Reader is the most comprehensive single volume to display the full range of Yeats's talents. It presents more than one hundred and fifty of his best-known poems -- more than any other compendium -- plus eight plays, a sampling of his prose tales, and excerpts from his published autobiographical and critical writings. In addition, an appendix offers six early texts of poems that Yeats later revised. Also included are selections from the memoirs left unpublished at his death and complete introductions written for a projected collection that never came to fruition. These are supplemented by unobtrusive annotation and a chronology of the life.

Yeats was a protean writer and thinker, and few writers so thoroughly reward a reader's efforts to essay the whole of their canon. This volume is an excellent place to begin that enterprise, to renew an old acquaintance with one of world literature's great voices, or to continue a lifelong interest in the phenomenon of literary genius.

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Essays, Fiction, Drama, Irish Literature, Anthologies

604 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 1997

About the author

William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and dramatist, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years Yeats served as an Irish Senator for two terms. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival, and along with Lady Gregory and Edward Martyn founded the Abbey Theatre, serving as its chief during its early years. In 1923 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for what the Nobel Committee described as "inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation." He was the first Irishman so honored. Yeats is generally considered one of the few writers who completed their greatest works after being awarded the Nobel Prize; such works include The Tower (1928) and The Winding Stair and Other Poems (1929).

Yeats was born and educated in Dublin but spent his childhood in County Sligo. He studied poetry in his youth, and from an early age was fascinated by both Irish legends and the occult. Those topics feature in the first phase of his work, which lasted roughly until the turn of the century. His earliest volume of verse was published in 1889, and those slow paced and lyrical poems display debts to Edmund Spenser and Percy Bysshe Shelley, as well as to the Pre-Raphaelite poets. From 1900, Yeats' 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.
--from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Pyramids Ubiquitous · Rating 2 out of 5]

I must have made a mistake in purchasing this book as I dislike these "samplings from across their ouvre" collections. I don't understand the appeal in reading a fragment of completed works. Really, I was just looking for the complete poems of Yeats. With that said, I took a dive into some of the poet's other works as represented in this compilation.

Reading Yeats was irritating to me. I didn't find his poetry to be pleasurable; his early poems demand too much work of the reader and are too hopelessly forlorn, whereas his late poems are all so similar. I can do without the constant references that I'm supposed to just understand - I can do without the illusion of depth. With that said, I think that pretty frequently Yeats was capable of turning an amazing phrase or line.

I found his plays to be infinitely more readable, but trivial overall due to their length and specificity. His autographical writings again brought irritation as his conceit was on full display in the selections provided. This was very tough for me to get through, despite how lyrical Yeats tends to be.

[David Garza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent collection of Yeats's works. Including the extensive notes at the end, there are over 500 pages covering all the bases you could want (poetry, drama, autobiographical writings, critical essays, and prose) from one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. It's well designed, well selected, and editor Finneran makes this compendium feel unburdensome; it's not some onerous, unapproachable tome. If you're looking to get into William Butler Yeats, this is a highly recommended option. For myself, I found myself enjoying Yeats's plays more than I thought I would, since I find reading the text of plays often a detached experience, as it can sometime be hard to picture from the text something intended to by physically staged if I'm not in the right and willing mindset. As I neared the finish line with this book, one of the last pieces, a short story, "Red Hanrahan," struck me as one of the most memorable pieces, and one to leave an memorable last impression as I was on my way out the door.

[C. J. Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Only read the poetry, so I can’t speak for the remainder!)

[James Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed the poetry of William Butler Yeats for many years as evidenced by my well-worn copy of his Complete Poems. But there is more to enjoy when considering this protean author for throughout his long life, William Butler Yeats produced important works in every literary genre, works of astonishing range, energy, erudition, beauty, and skill. His early poetry is memorable and moving. His poems and plays of middle age address the human condition with language that has entered our vocabulary for cataclysmic personal and world events.
"O body swayed to music, O brightening glance,
How can we know the dancer from the dance?"
("Among School Children", p 105)
The writings of his final years offer wisdom, courage, humor, and sheer technical virtuosity. T. S. Eliot pronounced Yeats "the greatest poet of our time -- certainly the greatest in this language, and so far as I am able to judge, in any language" and "one of the few whose history is the history of their own time, who are a part of the consciousness of an age which cannot be understood without them."
The Yeats Reader is a comprehensive single volume that demonstrates the full range of Yeats's talents. It presents more than one hundred and fifty of his best-known poems plus eight plays, a sampling of his prose tales, and excerpts from his published autobiographical and critical writings. In addition, an appendix offers six early texts of poems that Yeats later revised. Also included are selections from the memoirs left unpublished at his death and complete introductions written for a projected collection that never came to fruition. These are supplemented by unobtrusive annotation and a chronology of the life.
Yeats was a protean writer and thinker, and few writers so thoroughly reward a reader's efforts to essay the whole of their canon. This volume is an excellent place to begin that enterprise, to renew an old acquaintance with one of world literature's great voices, or to continue a lifelong interest in the phenomenon of literary genius.

[Zo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good volume for accessing the bulk of Yeats' most famous poetry while also dabbling in his non-fiction prose. The critical and autobiographical writings are at times beautiful and profound, and even when more mundane, remain amusing points of access into better understanding Yeats' mind. Because what an extraordinary mind it is! His belief in the mystical and convictions regarding poetry, symbols, language, tradition, myth, Ireland, etc are wonderful. He somehow combines a wide-eyed naivete with an artistic intelligence that makes the ideas compelling enough to be taken seriously. At times I wonder if some of his writings about symbolism are similar to something like Northrop Frye's in that they actually seem to provide insight into technical/philosophical issues. It's something I would like to believe but unfortunately feel like I would need to examine more critically.
Yeats' poetry was a revelation. I enjoy the antiquated diction and the poetic sincerity of most of his earlier work, but it is the later stuff (starting with A Vision and summiting in The Tower) his voice started having that distinctive ring that is characteristic of great poetry. I don't know what it is that allows certain lines to suddenly reverberate with beauty and power, part of it is about figuring out how to read the poet, but Yeats' later stuff abounds with such moments. His symbols fall in the perfect bandwidth between abstract and concrete, presenting images that can be linked together and formed into a sense, but resisting any too structured form that would limit their mystery. I need to return to his work to continue to get a better appreciation of it because already "The Second Coming," "Coming to Byzantium," "Byzantium," and "The Tower" have secured a place in that temple of the greatest poems I've encountered.

[Chris Mercado · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are several sections to this book: Poetry, Autobiographical/Journal Writings, Critical Writings, and Prose Fiction, which, in my opinion, vary greatly.

I enjoyed the poetry, prose fiction, and some of the journal/autobiographical writings, but not really the critical writings, which were very dry and difficult to slog through. If you're only interested in the poetry, I would just stop after that.

[Jack Heller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since retiring from university teaching, I have begun using my local public library much more, and I checked this out only to read the poetry. I may return to the volume someday to read the drama and fiction, but I am fully satisfied with the poetry. Who can beat "The Second Coming" and that lovely aubade "Parting"?

[Jack Kuper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeats' work takes a turn right after "Sailing to Byzantium", where instead of writing about interesting concepts using vivid and fantastic detail, that impose many levels of depth, he just seems to critique and revisit his younger work, seemingly unhappy with it.

[Owen Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t like reading Victorian/near Victorian poems — they are too sing songy for me. Thankfully Yeats evolves 🙏

[Tori · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I've read of his poetry is generally more earnest and less entrancing than I like. I keep getting irked by the excessive italicization. And finding the repeated male perspectives on heterosexual relationships boring. One poem ("Ephemeral" was part or all of its title, I think) struck the right chord with me. But so far I can't bring myself to stop skimming and actually read the reader.

Maybe I just need to be in a more poetic mood...


EDIT:
Reading/skimming bits from "The Tower" evoked Eliot and Pound. The same highly-allusive attempt to incorporate himself into the world he imagines as classically intellectual (pretentious). Kind of more cryptic in its meaning (to me) and less frustratingly incomprehensible in its allusions (which don't degenerate into nonsense sounds or flaunt their allusiveness with unhelpful footnotes or make me feel alienated and dumb by being in Greek).

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

William Butler Yeats is without a doubt one of, if not my absolute, favorite poets in the whole world. I also have found many times through this reader that he was a pretty brilliant playwright. I can say without a doubt sitting at Coole Park, reading some of the poetry that was written there is one of the most complete literary experiences I've had.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read parts of this for my freshmen year Intro to Irish Lit class. The verdict's still out on what I really think of Yeats - hope to elaborate on that thought process in the future. Sometimes he speaks to me, and sometimes I don't have a clue what he's writing or why he wrote it.

[Sparkie Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

great collection of poetry, plays and more. I especially enjoyed the autobiographical writings that gave me a greater understanding of the man and his motivations. every time I read Yeats I have an urge to visit Ireland.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

five stars for yeats, but the organization of this book is less than desirable. any good editor of poetry will include an index of first lines to make your searching easier.

[Risa · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Yeats Reader: A Portable Compendium of Poetry, Drama, and Prose by W. B. Yeats (1997)"

[Greg]

Like most books of poetry, this is read one or two at a time. May never actually "finish" the book.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite poem: Vacillation, Part IV. I loved the autobiographical writings, too.

[Rerity · Rating 1 out of 5]

first poem

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, the incomparable Yeats. It was a pleasure to read him again as an adult and not in a university lecture. The boldness of his language strikes me differently now.

[Big Hard Books & Classics · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really a great starting place for anyone interested in Yeats' oeuvre . . .