by W. B. Yeats
THE CURSE OF CROMWELL
ROGER CASEMENT
THE GHOST OF ROGER CASEMENT
THE O’RAHILLY
COME GATHER ROUND ME, PARNELLITES
THE WILD OLD WICKED MAN
THE GREAT DAY
PARNELL
WHAT WAS LOST
THE SPUR
A DRUNKEN MAN’S PRAISE OF SOBRIETY
THE PILGRIM
COLONEL MARTIN
A MODEL FOR THE LAUREATE
THE OLD STONE CROSS
THE SPIRIT MEDIUM
THOSE IMAGES
THE MUNICIPAL GALLERY REVISITED
ARE YOU CONTENT?
WHY SHOULD NOT OLD MEN BE MAD?
CRAZY JANE ON THE MOUNTAIN
A STATESMAN’S HOLIDAY
UNDER BEN BULBEN
THREE SONGS TO THE ONE BURDEN
THE BLACK TOWER
CUCHULAIN COMFORTED
THREE MARCHING SONGS
IN TARA’S HALLS
THE STATUES
NEWS FOR THE DELPHIC ORACLE
LONG-LEGGED FLY
A BRONZE HEAD
A STICK OF INCENSE
HOUND VOICE
JOHN KINSELLA’S LAMENT FOR MR. MARY MOORE
HIGH TALK
THE APPARITIONS
A NATIVITY
MAN AND THE ECHO
THE CIRCUS ANIMALS’ DESERTION
POLITICS
LIST OF POEMS IN ALPHABETICAL OR DER
A-D E-H I-L M-O P-S T-V W-Z
A BRONZE HEAD
A COAT
A CRADLE SONG
A CRADLE SONG
A CRAZED GIRL
A DEEP-SWORN VOW
A DIALOGUE OF SELF AND SOUL
A DREAM OF A BLESSED SPIRIT
A DREAM OF DEATH
A DRINKING SONG
A DRUNKEN MAN’S PRAISE OF SOBRIETY
A FAERY SONG
A FRIEND’S ILLNESS
A LYRIC FROM AN UNPUBLISHED PLAY
A MAN YOUNG AND OLD
A MEDITATION IN TIME OF WAR
A MEMORY OF YOUTH
A MODEL FOR THE LAUREATE
A NATIVITY
A NEEDLE’S EYE
A POET TO HIS BELOVED
A PRAYER FOR MY DAUGHTER
A PRAYER FOR MY SON
A PRAYER FOR OLD AGE
A PRAYER ON GOING INTO MY HOUSE
A SONG
A STATESMAN’S HOLIDAY
A STICK OF INCENSE
A THOUGHT FROM PROPERTIUS
A WOMAN HOMER SUNG
A WOMAN YOUNG AND OLD
ADAM’S CURSE.
AEDH GIVES HIS BELOVED CERTAIN RHYMES
AEDH HEARS THE CRY OF THE SEDGE
AEDH LAMENTS THE LOSS OF LOVE
AEDH PLEADS WITH THE ELEMENTAL POWERS
AEDH TELLS OF A VALLEY FULL OF LOVERS
AEDH TELLS OF THE PERFECT BEAUTY
AEDH TELLS OF THE ROSE IN HIS HEART
AEDH THINKS OF THOSE WHO HAVE SPOKEN EVIL OF HIS BELOVED
AEDH WISHES FOR THE CLOTHS OF HEAVEN
AEDH WISHES HIS BELOVED WERE DEAD
AGAINST UNWORTHY PRAISE
ALL SOULS’ NIGHT
ALL THINGS CAN TEMPT ME
ALTERNATIVE SONG FOR THE SEVERED HEAD IN “THE KING OF THE GREAT CLOCK TOWER”
AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN
AN ACRE OF GRASS
AN APPOINTMENT
AN IMAGE FROM A PAST LIFE
AN IRISH AIRMAN FORESEES HIS DEATH
ANASHUYA AND VIJAYA
ANOTHER SONG OF A FOOL
ARE YOU CONTENT?
AT ALGECIRAS - A MEDITATON UPON DEATH
AT GALWAY RACES
AT THE ABBEY THEATRE
BAILE AND AILLINN
BAILE AND AILLINN.
BEAUTIFUL LOFTY THINGS
BEGGAR TO BEGGAR CRIED
BLOOD AND THE MOON
BREASAL THE FISHERMAN
BROKEN DREAMS
BYZANTIUM
CERTAIN ARTISTS BRING HER DOLLS AND DRAWINGS
CHURCH AND STATE
CLOSING RHYMES
COLONEL MARTIN
COLONUS’ PRAISE
COME GATHER ROUND ME, PARNELLITES
CONJUNCTIONS
COOLE AND BALLYLEE, 1931
COOLE PARK, 1929
CRAZY JANE ON THE MOUNTAIN
CUCHULAIN COMFORTED
DEATH
DEMON AND BEAST
DOWN BY THE SALLEY GARDENS
EASTER, 1916
EGO DOMINUS TUUS
EPHEMERA
FALLEN MAJESTY
FERGUS AND THE DRUID
FOR ANNE GREGORY
FRAGMENTS
FRIENDS
FRIENDS
GRATITUDE TO THE UNKNOWN INSTRUCTORS
HANRAHAN LAMENTS BECAUSE OF HIS WANDERINGS
HANRAHAN REPROVES THE CURLEW
HANRAHAN SPEAKS TO THE LOVERS OF HIS SONGS IN COMING DAYS
HE AND SHE
HER COURAGE
HER COURTESY
HER FRIENDS BRING HER A CHRISTMAS TREE
HER PRAISE
HER RACE
HIGH TALK
HIS DREAM
HIS PHOENIX
HOUND VOICE
IMITATED FROM THE JAPANESE
IN MEMORY OF ALFRED POLLEXFEN
IN MEMORY OF EVA GORE-BOOTH AND CON MARKIEWICZ
IN MEMORY OF MAJOR ROBERT GREGORY
IN TARA’S HALLS
IN THE SEVEN WOODS.
INTO THE TWILIGHT
INTRODUCTORY RHYMES
JOHN KINSELLA’S LAMENT FOR MR. MARY MOORE
KING AND NO KING
LAPIS LAZULI
LEDA AND THE SWAN
LINES WRITTEN IN DEJECTION
LONG-LEGGED FLY
MAN AND THE ECHO
MEDITATIONS IN TIME OF CIVIL WAR
MEMORY
MEN IMPROVE WITH THE YEARS
MERU
MICHAEL ROBARTES AND THE DANCER
MICHAEL ROBARTES ASKS FORGIVENESS BECAUSE OF HIS MANY MOODS
MICHAEL ROBARTES BIDS HIS BELOVED BE AT PEACE
MICHAEL ROBARTES REMEMBERS FORGOTTEN BEAUTY
MOHINI CHATTERJEE
MONGAN LAMENTS THE CHANGE THAT HAS COME UPON HIM AND HIS BELOVED
MONGAN THINKS OF HIS PAST GREATNESS
NEWS FOR THE DELPHIC ORACLE
NINETEEN HUNDRED AND NINETEEN
NO SECOND TROY
OIL AND BLOOD
ON A PICTURE OF A BLACK CENTAUR BY EDMUND DULAC
ON A POLITICAL PRISONER
ON BEING ASKED FOR A WAR POEM
ON HEARING THAT THE STUDENTS OF OUR NEW UNIVERSITY HAVE JOINED THE ANCIENT ORDER OF HIBERNIANS AND THE AGITATION AGAINST IMMORAL LITERATURE
ON WOMAN
OWEN AHERNE AND HIS DANCERS
PARNELL
PARNELL’S FUNERAL
PAUDEEN
PEACE
POLITICS
PRESENCES
QUARREL IN OLD AGE
RECONCILIATION
REMORSE FOR INTEMPERATE SPEECH
RIBB AT THE TOMB OF BAILE AND AILLINN
RIBB CONSIDERS CHRISTIAN LOVE INSUFFICIEN
RIBB DENOUNCES PATRICK
RIBB IN ECSTASY
ROGER CASEMENT
RUNNING TO PARADISE
SAILING TO BYZANTIUM
SEPTEMBER 1913
SHE TURNS THE DOLLS’ FACES TO THE WALL
SIXTEEN DEAD MEN
SOLOMON AND THE WITCH
SOLOMON TO SHEBA
SPILT MILK
STATISTICS
STREAM AND SUN AT GLENDALOUGH
SUPERNATURAL SONGS
SWEET DANCER
SWIFT’S EPITAPH
SYMBOLS
THAT THE NIGHT COME
THAT THE NIGHT COME
THE APPARITIONS
THE ARROW.
THE ATTACK ON ‘THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD,’ 1907
&n
bsp; THE ATTACK ON THE “PLAY BOY”
THE BALLAD OF FATHER GILLIGAN
THE BALLAD OF FATHER O’HART
THE BALLAD OF MOLL MAGEE
THE BALLAD OF THE FOXHUNTER
THE BALLOON OF THE MIND
THE BLACK TOWER
THE BLESSED
THE CAP AND BELLS
THE CAT AND THE MOON
THE CHAMBERMAID’S FIRST SONG
THE CHAMBERMAID’S SECOND SONG
THE CHOICE
THE CIRCUS ANIMALS’ DESERTION
THE CLOAK, THE BOAT, AND THE SHOES
THE COLD HEAVEN
THE COLD HEAVEN
THE COLLAR-BONE OF A HARE
THE COMING OF WISDOM WITH TIME
THE CONSOLATION
THE CRAZED MOON
THE CURSE OF CROMWELL
THE DAWN
THE DEATH OF CUCHULAIN
THE DEDICATION TO A BOOK OF STORIES SELECTED FROM THE IRISH NOVELISTS
THE DOLLS
THE DOUBLE VISION OF MICHAEL ROBARTES
THE END OF DAY
THE EVERLASTING VOICES
THE FALLING OF THE LEAVES
THE FASCINATION OF WHAT’S DIFFICULT
THE FIDDLER OF DOONEY
THE FISHERMAN
THE FOLLY OF BEING COMFORTED.
THE FOOL BY THE ROADSIDE
THE FOUR AGES OF MAN
THE GHOST OF ROGER CASEMENT
THE GIFT OF HARUN AL-RASHID
THE GREAT DAY
THE GREY ROCK
THE GYRES
THE HARP OF AENGUS
THE HAWK
THE HEART OF THE WOMAN
THE HERO, THE GIRL, AND THE FOOL
THE HOST OF THE AIR
THE HOSTING OF THE SIDHE
THE HOUR BEFORE DAWN
THE INDIAN TO HIS LOVE
THE INDIAN UPON GOD
THE LADY’S FIRST SONG
THE LADY’S SECOND SONG
THE LADY’S THIRD SONG
THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE
THE LAMENTATION OF THE OLD PENSIONER
THE LEADERS OF THE CROWD
THE LIVING BEAUTY
THE LOVER’S SONG
THE MADNESS OF KING GOLL
THE MAGI
THE MAN WHO DREAMED OF FAERYLAND
THE MEDITATION OF THE OLD FISHERMAN
THE MOODS
THE MOTHER OF GOD
THE MOUNTAIN TOMB
THE MUNICIPAL GALLERY REVISITED
THE NEW FACES
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY AND AFTER
THE O’RAHILLY
THE OLD AGE OF QUEEN MAEVE
THE OLD AGE OF QUEEN MAEVE.
THE OLD MEN ADMIRING THEMSELVES IN THE WATER.
THE OLD STONE CROSS
THE PEACOCK
THE PEOPLE
THE PHASES OF THE MOON
THE PILGRIM
THE PITY OF LOVE
THE PLAYER QUEEN
THE PLAYERS ASK FOR A BLESSING ON THE PSALTERIES AND THEMSELVES.
THE POET PLEADS WITH HIS FRIEND FOR OLD FRIENDS
THE REALISTS
THE RESULTS OF THOUGHT
THE RIDER FROM THE NORTH.
THE ROSE OF BATTLE
THE ROSE OF PEACE
THE ROSE OF THE WORLD
THE ROSE TREE
THE SAD SHEPHERD
THE SAD SHEPHERD
THE SAINT AND THE HUNCHBACK
THE SCHOLARS
THE SECOND COMING
THE SECRET ROSE
THE SEVEN SAGES
THE SONG OF RED HANRAHAN.
THE SONG OF THE HAPPY SHEPHERD
THE SONG OF THE OLD MOTHER
THE SONG OF WANDERING AENGUS
THE SORROW OF LOVE
THE SPIRIT MEDIUM
THE SPUR
THE STATUES
THE STOLEN CHILD
THE THREE BEGGARS
THE THREE BUSHES
THE THREE HERMITS
THE THREE MONUMENTS
THE TOWER
THE TRAVAIL OF PASSION
THE TWO KINGS
THE TWO TREES
THE VALLEY OF THE BLACK PIG
THE WANDERINGS OF USHEEN
THE WELL AND THE TREE
THE WHEEL
THE WHITE BIRDS
THE WILD OLD WICKED MAN
THE WILD SWANS AT COOLE
THE WITCH
THE WITHERING OF THE BOUGHS.
THE YOUNG MAN’S SONG
THERE
THESE ARE THE CLOUDS
THOSE IMAGES
THREE MARCHING SONGS
THREE MOVEMENTS
THREE SONGS TO THE ONE BURDEN
TO A CHILD DANCING IN THE WIND
TO A FRIEND WHOSE WORK HAS COME TO NOTHING
TO A POET, WHO WOULD HAVE ME PRAISE CERTAIN BAD POETS, IMITATORS OF HIS AND MINE
TO A SHADE
TO A SQUIRREL AT KYLE-NA-GNO
TO A WEALTHY MAN WHO PROMISED A SECOND SUBSCRIPTION TO THE DUBLIN MUNICIPAL GALLERY IF IT WERE PROVED THE PEOPLE WANTED PICTURES
TO A YOUNG BEAUTY
TO A YOUNG GIRL
TO AN ISLE IN THE WATER
TO BE CARVED ON A STONE AT THOOR BALLYLEE
TO DOROTHY WELLESLEY
TO IRELAND IN THE COMING TIMES
TO LADY GREGORY
TO MY HEART, BIDDING IT HAVE NO FEAR
TO THE ROSE UPON THE ROOD OF TIME
TOM O’ROUGHLEY
TOWARDS BREAK OF DAY
TWO SONGS FROM A PLAY
TWO SONGS OF A FOOL
TWO SONGS REWRITTEN FOR THE TUNE’S SAKE
UNDER BEN BULBEN
UNDER SATURN
UNDER THE MOON.
UNDER THE ROUND TOWER
UPON A DYING LADY
UPON A HOUSE SHAKEN BY THE LAND AGITATION
VACILLATION
VERONICA’S NAPKIN
WHAT MAGIC DRUM?
WHAT THEN?
WHAT WAS LOST
WHEN HELEN LIVED
WHEN YOU ARE OLD
WHENCE HAD THEY COME?
WHO GOES WITH FERGUS?
WHY SHOULD NOT OLD MEN BE MAD?
WISDOM
WORDS FOR MUSIC PERHAPS
YOUTH AND AGE
The Plays
Godolphin School, Hammersmith, London, where Yeats was an art student
THE COUNTESS CATHLE EN
Written in blank verse, Yeats’ first play was published in 1892 in the anthology The Countess Kathleen and Various Legends and Lyrics. The play underwent several changes until the final version was performed in 1911 and published the following year. The Countess Kathleen is set in Ireland during a famine and portrays the idealistic Countess as selling her soul to the devil to save her tenants from starvation. After her death, she is redeemed as her motives were altruistic and ascends to Heaven.
Yeats based the play on the Irish legend of Cathleen O’Shea, which had been printed in an Anglo-Irish newspaper in 1867. When he later attempted to trace its origins, the story appeared to have been adapted into English from a French story, Les marchands d’âmes, whose protagonist was named “comtesse Ketty O’Connor”.
The play was first performed on May 8, 1899, as the Irish Literary Theatre’s inaugural production, in the Antient Concert Rooms, Dublin, while the final version was performed at the Abbey Theatre on December 14, 1911. It provoked controversy from several critics over the blasphemous attitudes it apparently supported and it has also been accused of having an anti-English theme.
The Abbey Theatre, Dublin, which Yeats co-founded in 1904 and where many of his plays were first performed
CONTENTS
PERSONS IN THE PLAY
SCENE 1
SCENE 2
SCENE 3
SCENE 4
SCENE 5
Inside the theatre
To MAUD GONNE
“The sorrowful are dumb for thee”
Lament of Morion Shehone for Miss Mary Bourke
SHEMUS RUA, A Peasant
MARY, His Wife
TEIG, His Son
ALEEL, A Poet
THE COUNTESS CATHLEEN
OONA, Her Foster Mother
Two Demons disguised as Merchants
Peasants, Servants, Angelical Beings, Spirits
The Scene is laid in Ireland and in old times.
SCENE 1
SCENE — A room with lighted fire, and a door into the open air, through which one sees, perhaps, the trees of a wood, and these trees should be painted in flat colour upon a gold or diapered sky. The walls are of one colour. The scene should have the effect of missal Painting. MARY, a woman of forty years or so, is grinding a quern.
MARY. What can have made the grey hen flutter so?
(TEIG, a boy of fourteen, is coming in with turf, which he lays beside the hearth.)
TEIG. They say that now the land is famine struck The graves are walking.
MARY. There is something that the hen hears.
TEIG. And that is not the worst; at Tubber-vanach A woman met a man with ears spread out, And they moved up and down like a bat’s wing.
MARY. What can have kept your father all this while?
TEIG. Two nights ago, at Carrick-orus churchyard, A herdsman met a man who had no mouth, Nor eyes, nor ears; his face a wall of flesh; He saw him plainly by the light of the moon.
MARY. Look out, and tell me if your father’s coming.
(TEIG goes to door.)
TEIG. Mother!
MARY. What is it?
TEIG. In the bush beyond, There are two birds — if you can call them birds — I could not see them rightly for the leaves. But they’ve the shape and colour of horned owls And I’m half certain they’ve a human face.
MARY. Mother of God, defend us!
TEIG. They’re looking at me. What is the good of praying? father says. God and the Mother of God have dropped asleep. What do they care, he says, though the whole land Squeal like a rabbit under a weasel’s tooth?
MARY. You’ll bring misfortune with your blasphemies Upon your father, or yourself, or me. I would to God he were home — ah, there he is.
(SHEMUS comes in.)
What was it kept you in the wood? You know I cannot get all sorts of accidents Out of my mind till you are home again.
SHEMUS. I’m in no mood to listen to your clatter. Although I tramped the woods for half a day, I’ve taken nothing, for the very rats, Badgers, and hedgehogs seem to have died of drought, And there was scarce a wind in the parched leaves.