W B YEATS

1. W B YEATS By Jack Fagan

2. Childhood/first poem William Butler Yeats was born in 1865 in Sandymount, Dublin. He moved to Howth to live beside the sea. Then he decided to move to Harold's Cross. Yeats’ first poem placed in the newspaper was called “The Wanderings Of Oisin”. Throughout the 1890s Yeats became fascinated with Irish legends. This affected his writings at the time.

3. Relationships MAUD GONNE In 1889 William met Maud Gonne. He immediately fell in love with her and he proposed to her several times over the years. They never married but she became an inspiration for his poems and plays. GEORGIE HYDELEES IN 1912 Yeats met Georgia Hydelees. He called her Georgia and they married on October 20th 1917. Yeats was 52.

4. LONDON/ABBEYTHEATRE LONDON In 1890 Yeats founded the rhymes club in London. He encouraged young poets to try their hand at poetry. THE ABBEY THEATRE Yeats and a few others set up the IRISH NATIONAL THEATRE SOCIETY. This led to the establishment of The Abbey Theatre.

5. Family After marrying Georgia Hydelees, Yeats had two children Anne and Michael. Shortly after marriage Georgia attempted “automatic writing”. Yeats was thrilled at this and he pledged to “explain and piece together those scattered sentences”. Yeats bought Thoor Ballylee a ruined Norman tower house in Galway for £35. he and Georgia renovated it and they spent many summers there.

6. Interesting Facts Yeats won the Nobel prize in 1923 for literature. Yeats supported the workers in the 1913 lockout. Yeats was appointed to the to the Senate in the newly formed Irish state. He died January 28th 1938.