The Yeats Reader

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William Butler Yeats, a premier lyric poet of the 20th century, produced significant works across all literary genres, showcasing remarkable range, energy, and skill. His early poetry is both memorable and moving, while his middle-aged works explore the human condition with language that has become part of our vocabulary for profound personal and global events. In his later years, Yeats's writings reflect wisdom, humor, and technical mastery. T. S. Eliot hailed him as "the greatest poet of our time," emphasizing his integral role in the consciousness of his era. This comprehensive volume features over one hundred and fifty of Yeats's most renowned poems, surpassing any other collection, alongside eight plays, prose tales, and excerpts from his autobiographical and critical writings. An appendix includes six early versions of revised poems, selections from unpublished memoirs, and complete introductions for an unrealized collection. Enhanced by annotations and a life chronology, this volume serves as an excellent entry point for readers to engage with Yeats's extensive body of work, renew their appreciation for one of literature's great voices, or deepen their understanding of literary genius.