William Butler Yeats: Nationalism, Violence, and Vision in Poetry - Lecture 5

Explore the middle period of William Butler Yeats in this 48-minute lecture from Yale University's Modern Poetry course. Delve into Yeats's role as a spokesman for Irish nationalism and his complex response to nationalist violence. Examine the aestheticization of violence in "Easter, 1916" and "The Statues." Analyze Yeats's conception of the relationship between violence and history, focusing on the interaction among divine, human, and bestial elements in visionary poems like "The Second Coming," "The Magi," and "Leda and the Swan." The lecture covers six chapters, including an introduction, analysis of specific poems, and a discussion of Yeats's historical perspective. Access complete course materials on the Open Yale Courses website for this Spring 2007 recording.

- Chapter 1. Introduction.
- Chapter 2. W. B. Yeats Poem: "Easter, 1916".
- Chapter 3. W. B. Yeats and History.
- Chapter 4. W. B. Yeats Poem: "The Second Coming".
- Chapter 5. W. B. Yeats Poem: "The Magi".
- Chapter 6. W. B. Yeats Poem: "Leda and the Swan".