Publisher Description

"The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats" includes all of the poems authorized by Yeats for inclusion in his standard canon. Breathtaking in range, it encompasses the entire arc of his career, from luminous reworkings of ancient Irish myths and legends to passionate meditations on the demands and rewards of youth and old age, from exquisite, occasionally whimsical songs of love, nature, and art to somber and angry poems of life in a nation torn by war and uprising. In observing the development of rich and recurring images and themes over the course of his body of work, we can trace the quest of this century's greatest poet to unite intellect and artistry in a single magnificent vision.

Revised and corrected, this edition includes Yeats's own notes on his poetry, complemented by explanatory notes from esteemed Yeats scholar Richard J. Finneran. "The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats" is the most comprehensive edition of one of the world's most beloved poets available in paperback.

Author Biography

William?Butler?Yeats?is?generally?considered?to?be?Ireland's?greatest?poet,?living?or?dead,?and?one?of?the?most

Table of Contents

CONTENTS PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION PREFACE PART ONE Lyrical Crossways (1889) 1 The Song of the Happy Shepherd 2 The Sad Shepherd 3 The Cloak, the Boat, and the Shoes 4 Anashuya and Vijaya 5 The Indian upon God 6 The Indian to his Love 7 The Falling of the Leaves 8 Ephemera 9 The Madness of King Goll 10 The Stolen Child 11 To an Isle in the Water 12 Down by the Salley Gardens 13 The Meditation of the Old Fisherman 14 The Ballad of Father O''Hart 15 The Ballad of Moll Magee 16 The Ballad of the Foxhunter The Rose (1893) 17 To the Rose upon the Rood of Time 18 Fergus and the Druid 19 Cuchulain''s Fight with the Sea 20 The Rose of the World 21 The Rose of Peace 22 The Rose of Battle 23 A Faery Song 24 The Lake Isle of Innisfree 25 A Cradle Song 26 The Pity of Love 27 The Sorrow of Love 28 When You are Old 29 The White Birds 30 A Dream of Death 31 The Countess Cathleen in Paradise 32 Who goes with Fergus? 33 The Man who dreamed of Faeryland 34 The Dedication to a Book of Stories selected from the Irish Novelists 35 The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner 36 The Ballad of Father Gilligan 37 The Two Trees 38 To Some I have Talked with by the Fire 39 To Ireland in the Coming Times The Wind Among the Reeds (1899) 40 The Hosting of the Sidhe 41 The Everlasting Voices 42 The Moods 43 The Lover tells of the Rose in his Heart 44 The Host of the Air 45 The Fish 46 The Unappeasable Host 47 Into the Twilight 48 The Song of Wandering Aengus 49 The Song of the Old Mother 50 The Heart of the Woman 51 The Lover mourns for the Loss of Love 52 He mourns for the Change that has come upon Him and his Beloved, and longs for the End of the World 53 He bids his Beloved be at Peace 54 He reproves the Curlew 55 He remembers forgotten Beauty 56 A Poet to his Beloved 57 He gives his Beloved certain Rhymes 58 To his Heart, bidding it have no Fear 59 The Cap and Bells 60 The Valley of the Black Pig 61 The Lover asks Forgiveness because of his Many Moods 62 He tells of a Valley full of Lovers 63 He tells of the Perfect Beauty 64 He hears the Cry of the Sedge 65 He thinks of Those who have spoken Evil of his Beloved 66 The Blessed 67 The Secret Rose 68 Maid Quiet 69 The Travail of Passion 70 The Lover pleads with his Friend for Old Friends 71 The Lover speaks to the Hearers of his Songs in Coming Days 72 The Poet pleads with the Elemental Powers 73 He wishes his Beloved were Dead 74 He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven 75 He thinks of his Past Greatness when a Part of the Constellations of Heaven 76 The Fiddler of Dooney In the Seven Woods (1904) 77 In the Seven Woods 78 The Arrow 79 The Folly of being Comforted 80 Old Memory 81 Never give all the Heart 82 The Withering of the Boughs 83 Adam''s Curse 84 Red Hanrahan''s Song about Ireland 85 The Old Men admiring Themselves in the Water 86 Under the Moon 87 The Ragged Wood 88 O do not Love Too Long 89 The Players ask for a Blessing on the Psalteries and on Themselves 90 The Happy Townland The Green Helmet and Other Poems (1910) 91 His Dream 92 A Woman Homer sung 93 Words 94 No Second Troy 95 Reconciliation 96 King and no King 97 Peace 98 Against Unworthy Praise 99 The Fascination of What''s Difficult 100 A Drinking Song 101 The Coming of Wisdom with Time 102 On hearing that the Students of our New University have joined the Agitation against Immoral Literature 103 To a Poet, who would have me Praise certain Bad Poets, Imitators of His and Mine 104 The Mask 105 Upon a House shaken by the Land Agitation 106 At the Abbey Theatre 107 These are the Clouds 108 At Galway Races 109 A Friend''s Illness 110 All Things can tempt Me 111 Brown Penny Responsibilities (1914) 112 Introductory Rhymes 113 The Grey Rock 114 To a Wealthy Man who promised a second Subscription to the Dublin Municipal Gallery if it were proved the People wanted Pictures 115 September 1913 116 To a Friend whose Work has come to Nothing 117 Paudeen 118 To a Shade 119 When Helen lived 120 On Those that hated ''The Playboy of the Western World,'' 1907 121 The Three Beggars 122 The Three Hermits 123 Beggar to Beggar cried 124 Running to Paradise 125 The Hour before Dawn 126 A Song from ''The Player Queen'' 127 The Realists 128 I. The Witch 129 II. The Peacock 130 The Mountain Tomb 131 I. To a Child dancing in the Wind 132 II. Two Years Later 133 A Memory of Youth 134 Fallen Majesty 135 Friends 136 The Cold Heaven 137 That the Night come 138 An Appointment 139 The Magi 140 The Dolls 141 A Coat 142 Closing Rhyme The Wild Swans at Coole (1919) par143 The Wild Swans at Coole 144 In Memory of Major Robert Gregory 145 An Irish Airman foresees his Death 146 Men improve with the Years 147 The Collar-bone of a Hare 148 Under the Round Tower 149 Solomon to Sheba 150 The Living Beauty 151 A Song 152 To a Young Beauty 153 To a Young Girl 154 The Scholars 155 Tom O''Roughley 156 Shepherd and Goatherd 157 Lines written in Dejection 158 The Dawn 159 On Woman 160 The Fisherman 161 The Hawk 162 Memory 163 Her Praise 164 The People 165 His Phoenix 166 A Thought from Propertius 167 Broken Dreams 168 A Deep-sworn Vow 169 Presences 170 The Balloon of the Mind 171 To a Squirrel at Kyle-na-no 172 On being asked for a War Poem 173 In Memory of Alfred Pollexfen Upon a Dying Lady: 174 I. Her Courtesy 175 II. Certain Artists bring her Dolls and Drawings 176 III. She turns the Dolls'' Faces to the Wall 177 IV. The End of Day 178 V. Her Race 179 VI. Her Courage 180 VII. Her Friends bring her a Christmas Tree 181 Ego Dominus Tuus 182 A Prayer on going into my House 183 The Phases of the Moon 184 The Cat and the Moon 185 The Saint and the Hunchback 186 Two Songs of a Fool 187 Another Song of a Fool 188 The Double Vision of Michael Robartes Michael Robartes and the Dancer (1921) 189 Michael Robartes and the Dancer 190 Solomon and the Witch 191 An Image from a Past Life 192 Under Saturn 193 Easter, 1916 194 Sixteen Dead Men 195 The Rose Tree 196 On a Political Prisoner 197 The Leaders of the Crowd 198 Towards Break of Day 199 Demon and Beast 200 The Second Coming 201 A Prayer for my Daughter 202 A Meditation in Time of War 203 To be carved on a Stone at Thoor Ballylee The Tower (1928) 204 Sailing to Byzantium 205 The Tower Meditations in Time of Civil War: 206 I. Ancestral Houses 207 II. My House 208 III. My Table 209 IV. My Descendants 210 V. The Road at My Door 211 VI. The Stare''s Nest by My Window 212 VII. I see Phantoms of Hatred and of the Heart''s Fullness and of the Coming Emptiness 213 Nineteen Hundred and Nineteen 214 The Wheel 215 Youth and Age 216 The New Faces 217 A Prayer for my Son 218 Two Songs from a Play 219 Fragments 220 Leda and the Swan 221 On a Picture of a Black Centaur by Edmund Dulac 222 Among School Children 223 Colonus'' Praise par224 Wisdom 225 The Fool by the Roadside 226 Owen Aherne and

Long Description

The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeatsincludes all of the poems authorized by Yeats for inclusion in his standard canon. Breathtaking in range, it encompasses the entire arc of his career, from luminous reworkings of ancient Irish myths and legends to passionate meditations on the demands and rewards of youth and old age, from exquisite, occasionally whimsical songs of love, nature, and art to somber and angry poems of life in a nation torn by war and uprising. In observing the development of rich and recurring images and themes over the course of his body of work, we can trace the quest of this century's greatest poet to unite intellect and artistry in a single magnificent vision.Revised and corrected, this edition includes Yeats's own notes on his poetry, complemented by explanatory notes from esteemed Yeats scholar Richard J. Finneran.The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeatsis the most comprehensive edition of one of the world's most beloved poets available in paperback.

Excerpt from Book

Chapter 1 Crossways 1 The Song of the Happy Shepherd The woods of Arcady are dead, And over is their antique joy; Of old the world on dreaming fed; Grey Truth is now her painted toy; Yet still she turns her restless head: But O, sick children of the world, Of all the many changing things In dreary dancing past us whirled, To the cracked tune that Chronos sings, Words alone are certain good. Where are now the warring kings, Word be-mockers? -- By the Rood Where are now the warring kings? An idle word is now their glory, By the stammering schoolboy said, Reading some entangled story: The kings of the old time are dead; The wandering earth herself may be Only a sudden flaming word, In clanging space a moment heard, Troubling the endless reverie. Then nowise worship dusty deeds, Nor seek, for this is also sooth, To hunger fiercely after truth, Lest all thy toiling only breeds New dreams, new dreams; there is no truth Saving in thine own heart. Seek, then, No learning from the starry men, Who follow with the optic glass The whirling ways of stars that pass -- Seek, then, for this is also sooth, No word of theirs -- the cold star-bane Has cloven and rent their hearts in twain, And dead is all their human truth. Go gather by the humming sea Some twisted, echo-harbouring shell, And to its lips thy story tell, And they thy comforters will be, Rewarding in melodious guile Thy fretful words a little while, Till they shall singing fade in ruth And die a pearly brotherhood; For words alone are certain good: Sing, then, for this is also sooth. I must be gone: there is a grave Where daffodil and lily wave, And I would please the hapless faun, Buried under the sleepy ground, With mirthful songs before the dawn. His shouting days with mirth were crowned; And still I dream he treads the lawn, Walking ghostly in the dew, Pierced by my glad singing through, My songs of old earth''s dreamy youth: But ah! she dreams not now; dream thou! For fair are poppies on the brow: Dream, dream, for this is also sooth. 2 The Sad Shepherd There was a man whom Sorrow named his friend, And he, of his high comrade Sorrow dreaming, Went walking with slow steps along the gleaming And humming sands, where windy surges wend: And he called loudly to the stars to bend From their pale thrones and comfort him, but they Among themselves laugh on and sing alway: ardAnd then the man whom Sorrow named his friend Cried out, Dim sea, hear my most piteous story! The sea swept on and cried her old cry still, Rolling along in dreams from hill to hill. He fled the persecution of her glory And, in a far-off, gentle valley stopping, Cried all his story to the dewdrops glistening. But naught they heard, for they are always listening, The dewdrops, for the sound of their own dropping. And then the man whom Sorrow named his friend Sought once again the shore, and found a shell, And thought, I will my heavy story tell Till my own words, re-echoing, shall send Their sadness through a hollow, pearly heart; And my own tale again for me shall sing, And my own whispering words be comforting, And lo! my ancient burden may depart. Then he sang softly nigh the pearly rim; But the sad dweller by the sea-ways lone Changed all he sang to inarticulate moan Among her wildering whirls, forgetting him. 3 The Cloak, the Boat, and the Shoes ''What do you make so fair and bright?'' ''I make the cloak of Sorrow: O lovely to see in all men''s sight Shall be the cloak of Sorrow, In all men''s sight.'' ''What do you build with sails for flight?'' ''I build a boat for Sorrow: O swift on the seas all day and night Saileth the rover Sorrow, All day and night.'' ''What do you weave with wool so white?'' ''I weave the shoes of Sorrow: Soundless shall be the footfall light In all men''s ears of Sorrow, Sudden and light.'' 4 Anashuya and Vijaya A little Indian temple in the Golden Age. Around it a garden; around that the forest. Anashuya, the young priestess, kneeling Within the temple. Anashuya. Send peace on all the lands and flickering corn. -- O, may tranquillity walk by his elbow When wandering in the forest, if he love No other. -- Hear, and may the indolent flocks Be plentiful. -- And if he love another, May panthers end him. -- Hear, and load our king With wisdom hour by hour. -- May we two stand, When we are dead, beyond the setting suns, A little from the other shades apart, With mingling hair, and play upon one lute. Vijaya [entering and throwing a lily at her]. Hail! hail, my Anashuya. Anashuya. No: be still. I, priestess of this temple, offer up Prayers for the land. Vijaya. I will wait here, Amrita. Anashuya. By mighty Brahma''s ever-rustling robe, Who is Amrita? Sorrow of all sorrows! Another fills your mind. Vijaya. My mother''s name. Anashuya [sings, coming out of the temple]. A sad, sad thought went by me slowly: Sigh, O you little stars! O sigh and shake your blue apparel! The sad, sad thought has gone from me now wholly: Sing, O you little stars! O sing and raise your rapturous carol To mighty Brahma, he who made you many as the sands, And laid you on the gates of evening with his quiet hands. [Sits down on the steps of the temple.] Vijaya, I have brought my evening rice; The sun has laid his chin on the grey wood, Weary, with all his poppies gathered round him. Vijaya. The hour when Kama, full of sleepy laughter, Rises, and showers abroad his fragrant arrows, Piercing the twilight with their murmuring barbs. Anashuya. See how the sacred old flamingoes come, Painting with shadow all the marble steps: Aged and wise, they seek their wonted perches Within the temple, devious walking, made To wander by their melancholy minds. Yon tall one eyes my supper; chase him away, Far, far away. I named him after you. He is a famous fisher; hour by hour He ruffles with his bill the minnowed streams. Ah! there he snaps my rice. I told you so. Now cuff him off. He''s off! A kiss for you, Because you saved my rice. Have you no thanks? Vijaya [sings]. Sing you of her, O first few stars, Whom Brahma, touching with his finger, praises, for you hold The van of wandering quiet; ere you be too calm and old, Sing, turning in your cars, Sing, till you raise your hands and sigh, and from your car-heads peer, With all your whirling hair, and drop many an azure tear. Anashuya. What know the pilots of the stars of tears? Vijaya. Their faces are all worn, and in their eyes Flashes the fire of sadness, for they see The icicles that famish all the North, Where men lie frozen in the glimmering snow; And in the flaming forests cower the lion And lioness, with all their whimpering cubs; And, ever pacing on the verge of things, The phantom, Beauty, in a mist of tears; While we alone have round us woven woods, And feel the softness of each other''s hand, Amrita, while -- Anashuya [going away from him]. Ah me! you love another, [Bursting into tears.] And may some sudden dreadful ill befall her! Vijaya. I loved another; now I love no other. Among the mouldering of ancient woods You live, and on the village border she, With her old father the blind wood-cutter; I saw her standing in her door but now. Anashuya. Vijaya, swear to love her never more. Vijaya. Ay, ay. Anashuya. Swear by the parents of the gods, Dread oath, who dwell on sacred Himalay, On the far Golden Peak; enormous shapes, Who still were old when the great sea was young; On their vast faces myster

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