William Butler Yeats

Date of Birth: June 13, 1865

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Date of Death: January 28, 1939

Biography

William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet, dramatist, and prose writer, one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and co-founded the Abbey Theatre. His work, deeply interwoven with Irish mythology and occultism, reflects a profound influence of personal and national identity. Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923, making him the first Irishman to be honored with this accolade. His literary output is marked by a shift from romantic to modernist themes, encapsulating a wide range of poetic styles and forms. Yeats was not only a literary giant but also a senator in the Irish Free State, contributing to the cultural and political life of Ireland.

5 Interesting Facts about William Butler Yeats

1. William Butler Yeats was a founding member of the National Theatre Society of Ireland, better known as the Abbey Theatre.

2. He had a lifelong unrequited love for Maud Gonne, who was an inspiration for much of his poetry.

3. Yeats was deeply involved in the occult and was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

4. He served as a Senator for the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1928.

5. Yeats’ epitaph, inscribed on his gravestone in Drumcliff Churchyard, County Sligo, reads: “Cast a cold eye on life, on death. Horseman, pass by!”

5 Most Interesting Quotes from William Butler Yeats

1. “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”

2. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

3. “There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.”

4. “Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.”

5. “An Irishman needs three things: silence, cunning, and exile.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

William Butler Yeats’ highest net worth is not precisely documented, but his estate, including his literary works and associations, would have been quite valuable. Estimates suggest it could be in the range of several million dollars in today’s terms, accounting for his Nobel Prize and continued influence on literature.

Children

William Butler Yeats had two children with his wife Georgie Hyde-Lees: a daughter, Anne Yeats, born in 1919, who became an accomplished painter and designer, and a son, Michael Yeats, born in 1921, who became a barrister and a politician.