Profile of the Day: William Butler Yeats
Image: William Butler Yeats / Library of Congress
Have you read the poems by William Butler Yeats? On June 13, 1865, the Irish poet was born in Dublin, Ireland to John and Susan Yeats. Considered one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature, Yeats writings were a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival. In 1923, he became the first Irishman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Literature. Aware of the significance, Yeats used the opportunity to highlight Ireland’s new role in Europe after gaining independence. He remained active in politics later in life, serving two terms in the Irish Senate.
Yeats died on January 28, 1939 in France. His epitaph is taken from the last lines of “Under Ben Bulben,” one of his final poems:
Cast a cold Eye
On Life, on Death.
Horseman, pass by!
Do you have a favorite Yeats poem?
View William Butler Yeats’s Geni Profile
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