The disbelief that arises in response to the author's bold assertion, "[Yeats was] universally recognized by his peers as the greatest poet of the century," disappears before the paper's conclusion. By providing solid, historical evidence, the author successfully portrays W.B. Yeats as one of the most talented and influential poets of the English language. Leaving only a few questions unanswered, the author successfully tackles Yeats' background, his life, and the complex influence of Maud Gonne.
Neither labeling her influence as "good" or "bad", the author relays Gonne's impact on Yeats in an impressive manner. As the recipient of Yeats' proclaimed love for over twenty years, Gonne was the subject of some of Yeats' greatest poetry. She also kept him "grounded to reality." While describing Gonne and Yeats, the author wisely abstains from simplifying their relationship. Although Gonne may have been vital in keeping Yeats in touch with Ireland's fight for freedom and his own feelings of love, she often used him for his speaking ability and wreaked havoc on his emotions. Instead of passing judgement, the author describes Gonne's influence. In one "brief digression," the author clarifies Yeats' emotional struggles, the importance of Lady Gregory, and Yeats' connection to the political arena.
Though she supposedly saved Yeats from ruin, Lady Gregory remains just a name. Since some of Yeats' best writing came after he met Lady Gregory, her influence may be almost as important as Maud Gonne's. The author's choice to gloss over Lady Gregory suggests otherwise. Yeats' political ties, however, are also vague. Yeats joined the Irish Revolution with Maude Gonne. The reader is left ot wonder if he joined out of love for Gonne or because he had a specific plan for Ireland. The author's description of Yeats as being both an artistic Protestant and a rural countryman at heart does little to clarify Yeats' political ideology. Yeats' actions while a member of the Irish Senate may shed light on this area of Yeats' life. A description of Yeats' political views would also help the reader understand how the status of Ireland was as a source of disappointment to Yeats. Maude Gonne could not have been the sole source of Yeats internal struggles.
Other aspects of Yeats' life are also unclear. The paper gives the impression that Yeats' affinity for myth and mysticism stemmed from his desire to shelter himself from the real world. If so, the childhood unpleasantries and disappointments that caused his early adoption of Irish myth would be very telling. Later in life, Yeats received harsh criticism for believing in fairies and in mysticism. The way in which he disregarded criticism, however, indicates that he was not an escapist. By breaking Yeats' adult life into three chronological periods, the author enabled the reader to better understand the influences that affected Yeats' writing . Sometimes, however, the paper tended to focus exclusively on the influences that affected Yeats' mysticism. Perhaps some additional background or a brief summary of Yeats' A Vision would help explain why the author focuses on this particular aspect of Yeats. It would also be interesting to know what kind of mystic following, if any, Yeats had.
In general, the author gives a very interesting and comprehensive account of one of the greatest writers of this century. Well organized, the paper covers many important influences that shaped Yeats' writing. After reading this paper, the reader should have a better idea of where Yeats writing comes from, and where it is going.