On The Influence Of Yeats’ Life Experiences On His Writing Styles

William Butler Yeats, an acknowledged world famous modernist poet of the20thcentury, also known as the landmark in the realm of English literature, is the pride of thewhole of Ireland. Yeats has always been leading the way in the history of poetry, andobtains a sustained reputation. Struggling for a systematic updating of subject matter andstyle throughout his literary career, he absorbs and carries forward many kinds ofsignificant artistic ideology and literary styles and writes remarkable poems in everyschool he is involved in no matter what it is the aesthetic romanticism in early period, therational modernism in middle period or the maturity and wisdom in late period. Thestudy of Yeats has been a very hot field. There are many worldwide researches about hispoetry and himself since the poet’s death. Besides, there is lots of discussion about thecontroversial figure, mainly centered on the poet’s social role, personal life andtransitions of his poetry style, performance techniques etc. Yeats undergoes many twistsand turns, ups and downs, experiences pains of love, glories on literature as well aspolitical disappointment and awakening, and all these personal experiences constantlystimulates the poet’s writing desire, at the same time exert subtle influence on the poet’screative style. With the method of the New Criticism (“close reading”) and Marxist’shistorical materialism, this thesis studies the transition process from aestheticromanticism to rational modernism to maturity and wisdom based on the conscientiousreading of his poems, from the perspective of the influence of personal experience andsocial changes on the poet’s creation, and explored the social, familial, and personalcauses of this transition.This thesis consists of three parts, namely “introduction”,“main body” and“conclusion”. In the introduction part, firstly, the author of this thesis introduces Yeats’life background and literary achievements. The introduction of Yeats’ life included Yeats’family and social background, growth process, emotional life as well as the politicalactivities, among which much attention is attached to the poet’s early growthenvironment. It is generally known that a person’s experience of childhood will alwaysexert great impact on his outlook and his early writing. Secondly, on the basis of review of studies on Yeats both at home and abroad, the author of this thesis puts forward thetheme of this thesis. The theme and organization, research method as well as theinnovation of this thesis are kept in the last part of the introduction.The main body of this thesis is subdivided into three chapters. This part is expandedaccording to the evolvement of the poet’s writing style. A person’s essence attribute isalso his social attribute. The poet’s personal experience and social activities have a directaffect on his creation thought. Besides, a person’s dedication to the society also directlydetermines the community’s understanding and recognition of this person. Yeats’ workand social activities witnessed the literature and the social changes of Ireland as well asthe entire Britain, which makes the poet endowed with different social identities indifferent writing periods.Chapter I concentrates on Yeats’ early poetic period (1889-1903). Under theinfluence of Romanticists, Pre-Raphaelites and the Aesthetic Movement, Yeats’ poetrylanguage presents to be evocative, ethereal, mysterious and dreamy, and Yeats becomes aromantic aesthetic sleepwalker in early period. During the period from the late thirtyyears of19th century to20th century, urbanization, industrialization andcommercialization of Britain locked people in depression. In addition, the unattainablelove toward Maud Gnome as well as the uncertain Ireland revolution, all these forceYeats to escape from the reality and develop strong yearning to the Arcadia natural world.On the other hand, through rich imagination, the poet also escapes into the imaginaryfairyland full of Irish myths and legends. Besides, the abundant employment of Irishfolklores also expresses Yeats’ endeavor and achievement as an Irish poet. Moreover, inhis early writing, the word “rose” is the one that appears in the titles of his poems somany times, which reflects the grief and sorrow caused by his unrequited love towardMaud Gonne.Chapter II deals with the change of Yeats’ poetic style in his middle period(1904-1920). At the beginning of the20th century, the world’s politics, economy andsociety underwent drastic transformations. Yeats witnessed the beginning and the end ofthe WWI, the defeat of the Irish Home Rule Bill as well as the rising of1916, the volatilepolitical situation and so on, all lead to the corresponding changes of the poet. Hegradually departs from the romantic, dreamy and decorative songs of his early period and turns to the direct, terse, simple and clear poetry to convey the reality, and produced largeamount of poetry with more distinct political elements. Meanwhile, under the influenceof Maud Gonne, who is physically striking as a beauty and radically passionate as anationalist, Yeats throws himself into the Irish national liberation movement. Throughpoetry, he eulogizes the martyrs in the Irish liberation, advocates the Irish renaissanceand restores the Irish culture and spirit.Chapter III probes into the mature and sagacity full of philosophy in late period(1921-1939). Yeats goes through Anglo-Irish war, the Irish civil war and the period ofrelative peace after the war. Besides, he witnesses the outburst of WWI and felt the hazeand wailing wind of the impending outbreak of WWII. Turbulent age impels him toattempt to examine and explicate life and history from a higher and more detachedperspective. The rational and mature feature in his poems is more and more evident, andthe most noticeable feature of his later period is wisdom. In his senile, Yeats’ realized thetrue nature of love. The poems of this period place emphasis on the instinct need ofhuman and the perfect combination of the body and soul, the spiritual and the physical,which was beyond the simple gender relations. In Yeats’ late period, Irish theme of Yeats’poems is set beyond the narrow nationalism context; he stands in the height of the humannature with a more tolerant attitude toward his own nation. Therefore, Yeats stands in theeternal Ireland. The poet has entered the trinity (religion, art and life) philosophy realm inhis late period. Yeats integrates himself into Byzantium where he finds the destination ofYeats’ spiritual journey and his poetic art reaches eternity.The last part of this thesis is the conclusion. It points out that although the poet’ssubjects as well as the poetic style vary with the changing surroundings, there are twoinvariable complexes in his poetry: the complex of Maud Gonne and the complex ofIreland. The two themes run throughout the whole poetry, and are regarded as theinvariable kernel existing in the constantly changing creation style. After reviewing therich works of Yeats, the author of this thesis, standing in the height of age, makes arelevant evaluation of the influence of Yeats and his works on the literature of Ireland aswell as the whole world.Poetry is produced by people. And the content should not depart from human andsociety. A better understanding of his thought can enable one to get the mental trajectory and motivation of the poet. The formation of the poet’s creation thought can not breakaway with his social environment and personal experience; the change of the poetic styleserves as the embodiment of the poet’s outlook and values. In this thesis, the authorintroduces Yeats’ life experiences and the social environment at that moment as thebackground understanding for the poet. In order to restore an authentic,three-dimensional Yeats, the author of this thesis explores the performance of Yeats, andhis social roles. Through the analysis and exploration of Yeats, the author finds theultimate significance and the motive power of his poetry creation. In this respect, thisthesis is truly people-oriented, and the author believes that this thesis will be helpful forboth the understanding of poetry and the creation of poetry.