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Amy Wells
A.P. English 12
Literature Analysis Final Draft
7 April 2014
Literary Evidence of The
Celtic Revival
Throughout Irelands antiquity, it has been made apparent that literature is valued in high
regards to the importance of the countrys monumental archives. Since the year of 400 A.D.,
poets of literacy works have been placed high on a pedestal as human beings that are worthy of
importance (Ancient). Inspired by their surrounding culture, the authors would often times write
about Irelands stance on political issues. One reoccurring topic in particular that reappears in
many different pieces of their literature is the Celtic Revival. Representing a momentous time
period in the history of Ireland, the significant movement signified the beginning of
modernization for the country (Kay).
Since the 8
th
century B.C., the island of Ireland has been subjected to a series of
conquests (History). First invaded by fearsome Celtic warrior tribes, the country had been
forced to separate into several different kingdoms by the 3
rd
century B.C. (History). By paying
not yet a single regard to their Irish nationality, the kingdoms were able to consistently be at
war with one-another (History). As the country was continuously fought over for control by
other nations, the citizens had begun to lose their sense of culture that had been originally
derived from their earlier tyrants: the Celts (Ringel). However, by exemplifying the qualities of
loyalty, hope, and persistence, the society of Ireland was eventually able to move forward
towards retrieving the historical culture.
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Countless authors during the nineteenth to twentieth century based their work towards
supporting the movement; however, no man other than William Butler Yeats had been referred
to as the Father of the Celtic Revival (Silent). Born in Dublin, Ireland in the year of 1865
(Blackwell), the well-known author is widely considered to be one of the greatest poets of the
twentieth century (William). First receiving his inspiration in writing from the landscapes,
language, and mythology of Sligo (Blackwell), William Yeats was eventually able to become the
first Irish writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in the year of 1923 (The Celtic
Revival). However, had his childhood been altered in any way, Mr. Yeats would have most
likely not have turned out to be the man he was on the day of his death in year of 1939
(Blackwell).
As an infant, William Butler Yeats had been brought into an Anglo-Irish, landowning
Protestant community (Silent). Although many of the human beings within his surrounding
society had considered themselves to be English folk who had incidentally been born in Ireland,
Yeats was still able to become adamant about affirming his nationality (Silent). In the end, the
developing poet had become involved within the Celtic Revival, and was able to help promote
the spirit of Irelands heritage against the cultural influences of English rule during the Victorian
period (Silent). As the young man began to publish his work that is full of profound uses of
imagery and alliteration, his supportive outlook that strived towards keeping the remnants of
Irelands heritage and culture became apparent.
Within the year of 1893, William Butler Yeats had received the opportunity to publish a
piece of his work that would eventually become a monumental model of art in Irelands literacy
history (Yeats). Titled as The Celtic Twilight: Faerie and Folklore, the book was written
with intentions of revealing stories that had been recounted to the poet by his friends, neighbors,
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and acquaintances (Hirsch). The first half of a poem within the books hinges is as follows:
Time drops in decay/Like a candle burnt out/And the mountains and woods/Have their day,
have their day, (The Celtic Twilight). From those verses comprised within the The Celtic
Twilight, it is apparent that William Butler Yeats uses imagery to assist with providing a direct
connotation to the concept of the Irish culture being lost in a movement towards a more modern
society. For instance, the author proves to the reader within the poems first few lines that as
time is forgotten, the enjoyable moments of the past are lost as well. Overall, this concept
correlates with the Celtic Revival by relating to loss of something that was once sought after.
The poem then continues on, But, kindly old rout/Of the fire-born moods/You pass not away,
thus illustrating Mr. Yeats desire to maintain Irelands historical ways of functioning as a
civilization (The Celtic Twilight).
Within the span of his life, William Butler Yeats had published yet another poem that had
been titled with only one, eloquent term: Wisdom (Wisdom). Speaking of a child that
follows by the name of Noah, Mr. Yeats composes, In starry towers of Babylon/Noah's freshet
never reached/King Abundance got Him on Innocence/and Wisdom He, (Wisdom). Due to
the fact that the poem was written within the Celtic Revival by an Ireland nationalist, it can be
inferred that the innocent child referred to as Noah is ideally meant to represent the county of
Ireland in all of its purity by developing on its own. As the King, of which in this case would
be the ruler of England, aspired to take charge of the vulnerable countrys wild infancy, horror
was drawn from His [Noahs] Mothers breast (Wisdom). As Mr. Yeats references to the
innocence of a family, he is illuminating how close to home this matter of an issue lies to his
heart. Furthermore, by using the literacy element of imagery, author William Yeats was able to
provide an elaborate picture that exemplified Irelands deception of England.
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In the year of 1920, a poem titled The Lake of Isle Innisfree was published by Mr.
Yeats in attempt to successfully illustrate the loyal love he consists of for his country that ignited
the fire of his predominant nationalism (The Lake). The first and second stanzas of the text are
written as follows:
I WILL arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings

As W. B. Yeats uses a descriptive vocabulary to illustrate the structure of his next destination
located within the parameters of Ireland, a tone of hope and pleasure becomes perceptible. In
response, readers can infer that Mr. Yeats is evidently expressing his devotion and enthusiasm he
holds for the country of Ireland. The poems content then continues onto the final stanza:
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.
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Overall, it is apparent within the three works mentioned of William Butler Yeats that by
using a profound amount of imagery, the author is allowed the opportunity to enhance a readers
understanding of the historical culture of Ireland.



Works Cited:
Ancient Ireland. Squidcreek, 16 May 2009. Youtube.com. Web. 30 March 2014. <https://www
.youtube.com/watch?v=Deyg3B1TKLY>.
Blackwell, Amy, & Ryan Hackney. The Celtic Revival. Netplaces.com. Netplaces, n.d. Web.
30 March 2014. < http://www.netplaces.com/irish-history/irelands-contribution-to-
literature/the-celtic-revival.htm>.
Hirsch, Edward. Coming Out Into the Light: W. B. Yeats The Celtic Twilight (1983, 1902).
Jstor.org. Indiana University Press: Office of Scholarly Publishing, 1981. Web. 30 March
2014. < http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/3814184?uid=3739936&uid=2&uid=4&u
id=3739256&sid=21103890887813>.
History. Lonelyplanet.com. Lonely Planet, 2014. Web. 30 March 2014. <http://www.lonelypla
net.com/ireland/history>.
Kay, Sean. Celtic Revival?: The Rise, Fall, and Renewal of Global Ireland. Books.google.com.
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers: 12 August 2011. Google EBooks. 30 March 2013. <
http://books.google.com/books?id=ppZQKfpTXAcC&pg=PA22&lpg=PA22&dq=celtic+
revival+modernization&source=bl&ots=dKm888eRZe&sig=1ts9Clf_1lEqRC6vosZW49j


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RJQU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=urw4U_SYOObisAS_zIKYAg&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBA#v=one
page&q=celtic%20revival%20modernization&f=false>.
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Theatre. Britlitwiki.wikispaces.com. Tangient LLC: 23 May 2012. Web. 29 March 2014.
<https://britlitwiki.wikispaces.com/The+Celtic+Revival+and+the+Abbey+Theatre>.
Ringel, Meredith. Fine Arts in the Celtic Revival. Victorianweb.org. The Victorian Web: 21
November 2004. Web. 30 March 2014. <http://www.victorianweb.org/art/design/celtic/ri
ngel10.html>.
Silent Owl. W. B. Yeats. Father of the Celtic Revival. Amayodruid.blogspot.com. Awesome
Inc. Template: 28 November 2011. Web. 29 March 2014. <http://amayodruid.blogspot.co
m/2011/1 1/wbyeats-father-of-celtic-revival.html>.
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2014. <https://sites.google.com/site/eholloway17/william-butler-yeats>.
The Celtic Twilight Quotes. Goodreads.com. Goodreads Inc., n.d. Web. 30 March 2014.
<http:/ /www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/187818-the-celtic-twilight-faerie-and-
folklore>.
The Lake Isle of Innisfree. Bartleby.com. Bartleby, n.d. Web. 30 March 2014. <http://www.bar
tleby.com/103/44.html>.
William Butler Yeats. Poetryfoundation.org. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 30 March 2014.
<http://ww w.poetryfoundation.org/bio/william-butler-yeats>.
Wisdom. Classiclit.about.com. About.com, n.d. Web. 30 March 2014. < http://classiclit.about.
com/library/bl-etexts/wbyeats/bl-wbye-wis.htm>.
Yeats Celtic Twilight. Celtic-twilight.com. Celtic Twilight: Myths and Legends of Ireland,
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2000. Web. 30 March 2014. <http://www.celtic-twilight.com/ireland/yeats/celtic_twilight
/index.htm>.