William Butler Yeats was one of the most important poets and playwrights of the twentieth century, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923. He was also responsible for a resurgence in Irish literature and was a founding member of the Abbey Theatre. He was a life-long dabbler in the occult, and loved all things mystical and paranormal, an interest that is apparent in his poetry. Born to privilege, William Butler Yeats was a long-time Irish nationalist who deplored the insistence of the Catholic Church on primacy in the land. He served in the Irish senate for two terms. A painting of him at age forty-three by John Singer Sargent shows a strikingly youthful and handsome man, and we believe he took full advantage of the fact. Though married only once, he conducted numerous affairs throughout his life, including one with the actress/feminist, Maud Gonne. This behavior continued well into his old age, due to his having had the “Steinach†operation, known for restoring the potency of the male sexual drive. Two of his best-known poems are “The Second Coming†(no pun intended) and “Easter, 1916â€.
