A Study Of Irish Nationalism In Yeats’s Poetry

William Butler Yeats(1865-1939) as a prominent poet who was lauded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1923 and a reputable figure in Irish Literary Revival, was accepted both in Ireland and the English-speaking world. As a prominent figure in Irish Literary Revival, Yeats has always been committed to the cause of reviving Irish indigenous culture in his literary works. However, the question of his stance on Irish nationalism is always subject to much diverse critical debates. A considerable part of Yeats’ s criticism has interpreted him as either a great anti-colonial poet or a British-supporter. Avoiding the traditional an either/or approach, this thesis aims to track the changes and evolution of Yeats’ s involvement with Irish nationalism and uncover the reasons for his changing attitude toward nationalist struggles. Mainly drawing on the identity theory, this thesis mainly centers on Yeats’ s poetry in different periods, but frequently resorts to his prose works, correspondence, speeches, interviews, his historical and cultural contexts. By a close reading of some of Yeats’ s poems from different periods of his long career, it is argued that Yeats’ s involvements with Irish nationalism has mainly undergone three stages: Yeats’ s cultural nationalism in the early period; Yeats’ s ambivalent attitude toward radical nationalist movement in the middle period; Yeats’ s calling for an inclusive, diversified Irish culture which includes the Anglo-Irish as well as the Gaelic Irish in late period.Besides the introduction and conclusion part, the whole thesis is composed of four chapters and arranged in a chronologic order.The introduction part begins with the literature review of Yeats’ s involvement with Irish nationalism and brings out two controversial versions of Yeats. While stating the significance of the related identity theory, it presents the main argument of the present thesis.Chapter One introduces the Ireland’s troubled history with Britain and Yeats’ s identity anxiety. This chapter mainly associates Irish identity crisis with the history of its colonial experience in the past and explores Yeats’ s own identity anxiety which originates from his Anglo-Irish origin and his own split life experience. It is argued that Yeats’ s identity anxiety and Irish identity crisis in his time establish his writing preoccupation: the construction of Irish identity.Chapter Two deals with Yeats’ s early poetry, investigating Yeats’ s effort to restore Irish culture and his attempt to decolonize British imperialism. In this period, Yeats’ s writing with obvious ancient Gaelic object imagines ancient Ireland and reinvigorates Irish culture which effectively fights against British colonial conception of Irishness and British materialism. His interest in the Irish peasants and their lives, his untiring work on collecting Irish folklore and mythology, and his contribution to the Irish Literary Revival, imply that Yeats was always anxious to prove his status as an Irish poet.Chapter Three explores Yeats’ s ambivalent attitudes toward radical nationalist movement in the poetry of his middle period. The upheaval of Ireland’s society and the world in this period leads Yeats to reflect the relationship of violence and nationalist movement. His insistence on the differentiation between politics and literature separates him from radical nationalists. Yeats’ s four war poems in the period of Anglo-Irish War and Civil War: “September 1913”, “Easter 1916”, “Nineteen Hundred and Nineteen”, “Meditations in the Civil War” will be mainly analyzed to illustrate Yeats’ s complicated response to nationalist movement and violence. Yeats’ s stance is far from offering complete support for either side. Rather, these war poems imply that both the Irish nationalists and the British colonialists are responsible for the bloodshed and destruction of present. Here, Homi Bhabha’s approach to the question of colonial relationship is relevant to Yeats’ s engagement with this complex issue.Chapter Four examines Yeats’ s later poetry. His harsh criticism for the newly-formed government’s concept of Catholic Ireland and his defenses for individual freedom illustrate that Yeats moves beyond the influences of essentialist identity, calling for embracing heterogeneity of Irish culture and advocating an inclusive, diversified Irish culture which includes the Anglo-Irish as well as the Gaelic Irish.The conclusion part concludes Yeats’ s involvement with Irish nationalism. In the time of Ireland in transition, Yeats has always been engaged in the question of Irish politics with direct or indirect involvements and his stance towards Irish nationalist movement in his poetry of different periods has undergone remarkable changes. In the process of his literary creation, Yeats combines his poetry and the construction of Irish identity which revives the Irish culture and contributes the formation of Irish identity. To borrow the Nobel Committee’s words “ his inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation”.