Yes, really amazing to hear the great man's voice! As he reads, so he composed, and before that, thought. Wonderful to hear the cadence of his words, to see how these thoughts were turning over in his mind, and given outlet in his verse.
Yeats is a singer, his poems are songs. Russian poets have this same chanting style of reading. I love it. We have made poetry more and more of the intellect, sharing our thoughts, but surly we should let it return to music. It finds its home there.
I disagree. I love Yeats' work. I love lyrical work. However, I think there is room for many types of poetry in the world of poetry. For example, my poetry is a mix of intellectual and lyrical styles. Additionally, the distinctions drawn by poetry critics are often artificial. Now, maybe the more prosaic or intellectual style of poetry doesn't suit your aesthetic tastes. However, that does not mean that poetry should only be musical. Poetry is art. Furthermore, poetry derives its meaning and name from the Greek word poiesis, which is defined as "the activity in which a person brings something into being that did not exist before." (Wikipedia). To put it simply, poetry is the most elementary and rudimentary form of art. It is pure expression.
I agree with most of what your saying and often find if I sing my own poetry I refine, simplify and invariably make it better. I have an original arrangement of The Lake Isle of Innisfree set to music if you fancy a listen here: ruclips.net/video/aGrpIo24x80/видео.html Peace, Renny
Vara Sue Tamminga I was surprised by his song-like delivery. And it reminded me of Josif Brodskj's delivery. No surprise, therefore, that the latter was a huge W.H.AUDEN admirer.
I have not listened to this in several years. I had an old copy of his "Selected poems & Plays". It was a strange looking book. Red cover. Red was odd. In a good way. I carried that old book forever. Read it a hundred times. I grew up adoring it and Yeats' writing. In my later years- about late 20s I decided to give that one special old book to a dear friend of mine. That friend is gone now. About 7 years. Hard to think about that but that magical old red book . It was shared with one of the truest human beings you can image. or maybe you cant. But my dearest friend- my comrade- my wee bit of laughter that I needed so much - Paul- County Laois Ireland. I gave the words to you and we miss you and we still cherish you. Your breath & spirit are still with us. But you....♥ we miss you dear-heart.
+stacyblue1980 Lovely tribute. I too had that same red covered edition. I lost it many years ago and wish I hadn't. There was something charming about it. Not just the cover, but the type as well.
Pontoon Bubblestick ah yes the type! Aww I miss it dearly. I could get lost with that book. I would walk my little dog , Polly, a Cairn Terrier She was the best friend a kid could have. Id sit in the grass and read that book until dusk. I will never forget those days. Me & Polly. Very special little moments from youth. Thank you for your comment. Maybe we can find another copy of that wonderful , magical red book. Sorry if im being too sentimental.. Im beat after work. Mind is going back some place ...
thank you, than you for the sound of Yeats' voice and his words.. when in the miserable present moment and in grey city concerns, Yeats reminds me that there is a deep heart's core.
I hope that people listening to this take Yeats' endorsement of William Morris as a great poet seriously and look into that sadly neglected poet. Most people are familiar with his wallpaper designs more than his poems. See for example: A Garden by the Sea I know a little garden-close, Set thick with lily and red rose, Where I would wander if I might From dewy morn to dewy night, And have one with me wandering. And though within it no birds sing, And though no pillared house is there, And though the apple-boughs are bare Of fruit and blossom, would to God Her feet upon the green grass trod, And I beheld them as before. There comes a murmur from the shore, And in the close two fair-streams are, Drawn from the purple hills afar, Drawn down unto the restless sea: Dark hills whose heath-bloom feeds no bee, Dark shore no ship has ever seen, Tormented by the billows green Whose murmur comes unceasingly Unto the place for which I cry. For which I cry both day and night, For which I let slip all delight, Whereby I grow both deaf and blind, Careless to win, unskilled to find, And quick to lose what all men seek. Yet tottering as I am and weak, Still have I left a little breath To seek within the jaws of death An entrance to that happy place, To seek the unforgotten face, Once seen, once kissed, once reft from me Anigh the murmuring of the sea.
wonder filled indeed, present with wonder, waving. I surely don't know what to say, so I'm just addressing this with a homage intentioned rant, it was wonderful to read out loud, exploring its enactment possibilities
What a privilege to hear Mr William Butler Yeats read his own work, on this day, the 150th anniversary of his birth on 13th June 1865. Thank you for sharing these wonderful recordings. :)
I did not know of these recordings before - what a wonderful historical record to hear such a poet reading his own work. Thank you very much for posting this =)
Finally, at 72, last year, i got to arise and go. Before it was too late. It was amazing: there was one other person there, overlooking Innisfree. I learned the story of how, when Yeats was young, he walked all the way there from Sligo. On a small building, near the overlook, someone had stenciled a picture of his face, and the slogan, “Poetry saved my life.” May it save us all. May we once again be able to sit in cafès and have those quintessential Yeatsian moments: “While on the shop and street I gazed My body of a sudden blazed; And twenty minutes more or less It seemed, so great my happiness, That I was blessed and could bless”
Glad to hear this with the full intro which was not included on the Now and in Times to Come CD, love hearing his voice; the 2nd one i never heard, thank you ~ Aloha ~
Such an honor to be able to listen to the man known as the greatest poet in Ireland; thanks for uploading this. His Castle of Heroes lives on in memory, in thought and emotion.
I RISE in the dawn, and I kneel and blow Till the seed of the fire flicker and glow; And then I must scrub and bake and sweep Till stars are beginning to blink and peep; And the young lie long and dream in their bed Of the matching of ribbons for bosom and head, And their y goes over in idleness, And they sigh if the wind but lift a tress: While I must work because I am old, And the seed of the fire gets feeble and cold.
Musician Loreena McKennitt has set some of Yeats and Tennyson's poetry to music. "She Moved Thru the Fair", "Bonny Swans", "Lady of Shallott." Her voice is beautiful. Classified as World/Celtic mostly. If you like her listen to "Dante's Prayer". Written after seeing dispair of Russia and reading "Dante's Inferno" in 1995 train trip. There is no one quite like her. Find these on youtube.
Dorothy Katherine Hawley Ackenhusen passed away peacefully at home in Ann Arbor, Mich., on June 24, 2015, at age 90. She was a true intellectual with a kind and loving heart. She was also a real fighter for life, persisting under hospice care for well over one year despite her ailments. She is survived by her husband, John Goodyear Ackenhusen; and four children, Delmer Harold Reed Jr., Jon Anthony Reed, Carlton Kent Reed, and Katherine Michele Reed. Kay was born October 17, 1924 in St. Albans, W.Va., to Katherine Melissa Wells Hawley and William Harold Hawley. She spent the last 43 years of her life married to her loving husband, John G. Ackenhusen. She was formerly married to Delmer Harold Reed. Kay earned a bachelor's degree in English and religion (summa cum laude) from The University of Charleston (W.Va.). While teaching full time, she earned a master's degree in English literature (minor in philosophy) from Marshall University (W.Va.) specializing in Irish literature with emphasis on the writings of William Butler Yeats. She attended the Yeats Summer School, Sligo, Ireland, for six summers. She was a gifted and brilliant teacher who inspired her students to challenge themselves and to see a world beyond themselves. During her career, she taught English Language and Literature at Fairleigh Dickinson University (Madison, N.J.), Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti, Mich.), and University of Charleston (W.Va.). She also taught English and speech at South Charleston High School (W.Va.), where she was the only female advisor in the United States of the Hi-Y young men's club. She transmitted her enthusiasm for all things Irish to her husband and her 2,000 plus students. She was regarded by many of her students as one of their best teachers. She was active in the Presbyterian Church, teaching Sunday school and developing curriculum. Since moving to Ann Arbor, she participated in the Faculty Women's Club, Ann Arbor Women's City Club, the Ann Arbor Thrift Shop, and the choir of the First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor. Since the passing of her beloved dog over 25 years ago, she brought four dogs and two cats into her pet family over a period of two years, all of whom provided her comfort in her last years by snuggling with her constantly. A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday July 19, at First Presbyterian Church, 1432 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, followed by a memorial reception at Conor O'Neill's Irish Pub, 318 S. Main, Ann Arbor (additional parking available at the funeral home within walking distance). Visitation will occur the day before, Saturday, July 18, 2015, at Muehlig Funeral Chapel, 403 S. Fourth Avenue, Ann Arbor, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Information will be accumulated and posted under Kay's name at: www.muehligannarbor.com. Won't you please post your memories for us? Contributions in memory of Dorothy Katherine Ackenhusen may be made to The First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, 1432 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. *** Tough, inspiring teacher; loyal, good always. *** - See more at: www.wvgazette.com/gz/Obituaries#sthash.FtSkfavn.dpuf
Thank you. I did. I can't think of anything more to add without being patronizing. His genius is known; I wouldn't expect more. With that being said; his words move me, even me! An uncultured auto mechanic. When I recite The Song of Wandering Aengus to myself, it moves me. I don't know why.
@brychar66 -- I have spent a little time this evening following your line of thought. I have noticed your posts hitherto. I like the Klavier renditition of the Liebestod on your first site. I remember the the first performance I saw live at the Zurich Opera House in the early 1960's. It is so well situated. My sincere compliments on your Cavafy translations. understated, yes. from a fellow goat, all food fortune .... raven
It's "The Lake Isle of Innishfree", which he wrote. There are other readings by others to the right which have better clarity in the recording. Inspired by this poem and the actual Isle, Richard Farrelly wrote the song, Isle of Innishfree in 1949. It was featured in the movie, "The Quiet Man". The poem and song are quite different, but have similar themes.
willie yeats is now long dead pass by and do forget he backed the blue shirts to his shame perhaps it was some old prot game but he wrote pure poetry and for this his name blessed be so bless him in his eloquence for his politics not two pence
I am certain that Pound imitated him. Even though Pound was trying to be different than everyone else, his idol was Yeats and his delivery in Hugh Selwyn Mauberley is an exact replica.
Fiachra McKeever I just love that sentiment. Bards are so incredibly important. They bring forth the collective through memory. We will begin to remember what is truly important. Ireland is the soul of this earth, it all starts there.
If you look at the Lissadell web site, you will see evidence of this connection. I was there and, when I saw their Leonard Cohen memorial garden, I wept
Yeats´ pre-war accent may be a little hard to take - a sort of special Irish literary idiom - but the slow pace is absolutely essential. There is an American tradition that treats poetry as prose which is grotesque when used for Yeats (plenty of examples on youtube). There is always something of incantation there.
That's possible, but either way, Yeats identified most with his Anglo-Irish ancestry. Recall his fiery words on the floor of the Irish Senate in 1925: "We [the Anglo-Irish] are one of the great stocks of Europe. We are the people of Burke; we are the people of Grattan; we are the people of Swift, the people of Emmet, the people of Parnell. We have created the most of the modern literature of this country. We have created the best of its political intelligence."
@JenFrusciante I visited the Yeats museum in Sligo and stayed at a B and B under Ben Bulben's head. My family originated in Armagh but came to the U.S. early. I have always felt an affinity with Irish literature, and studied under W.R. Rodgers. Are you descended from Jack Yeats? Mullaney Bros. in Sligo has a Yeats sisters carpet upstairs... he took us up to see it.
What an honor! As an english student studying poetry and coming across this, is truly a gift.
I'm Iraqi , I still dream visiting Great Ireland and going where Yeats went and sing .
bassimammar ammara hope you got to go to ireland bud
We are the land of 100,000 welcomes. We extend them all to you.
❤
I can't imagine any poets who's singing is greater than those of your own language and culture.
My grandmother's maiden name is Synge. From Sing :) A distant cousin of hers was John Millington Synge. He was a friend and colleague of Yeats 🍀
How wonderful to be able to hear Yeats read his own beautiful poetry. Thank you so much!
Eleanor Forster Many thanks Eleanor!
Poetry of Pablo Neruda
Yes, really amazing to hear the great man's voice! As he reads, so he composed, and before that, thought. Wonderful to hear the cadence of his words, to see how these thoughts were turning over in his mind, and given outlet in his verse.
What a treat to hear his voice. My favorite all time poet.
I have a book signed by William Butler Yeats.
Yeats is a singer, his poems are songs. Russian poets have this same chanting style of reading. I love it. We have made poetry more and more of the intellect, sharing our thoughts, but surly we should let it return to music. It finds its home there.
Vara Sue Tamminga so very true.
I disagree. I love Yeats' work. I love lyrical work. However, I think there is room for many types of poetry in the world of poetry. For example, my poetry is a mix of intellectual and lyrical styles. Additionally, the distinctions drawn by poetry critics are often artificial. Now, maybe the more prosaic or intellectual style of poetry doesn't suit your aesthetic tastes. However, that does not mean that poetry should only be musical. Poetry is art. Furthermore, poetry derives its meaning and name from the Greek word poiesis, which is defined as "the activity in which a person brings something into being that did not exist before." (Wikipedia). To put it simply, poetry is the most elementary and rudimentary form of art. It is pure expression.
It is difficult to imagine the development of the poetic expression without the song.
I agree with most of what your saying and often find if I sing my own poetry I refine, simplify and invariably make it better. I have an original arrangement of The Lake Isle of Innisfree set to music if you fancy a listen here: ruclips.net/video/aGrpIo24x80/видео.html Peace, Renny
Vara Sue Tamminga
I was surprised by his song-like delivery. And it reminded me of Josif Brodskj's delivery. No surprise, therefore, that the latter was a huge W.H.AUDEN admirer.
I memorized and recited The Isle of Innesfree for my father on his deathbed, and then he died in front of me.
Rosemary Kavanagh O'Carroll
Bless you
It's amazing how soothing poetry can be Rosemary
I have not listened to this in several years. I had an old copy of his "Selected poems & Plays". It was a strange looking book. Red cover. Red was odd. In a good way. I carried that old book forever. Read it a hundred times. I grew up adoring it and Yeats' writing. In my later years- about late 20s I decided to give that one special old book to a dear friend of mine. That friend is gone now. About 7 years. Hard to think about that but that magical old red book . It was shared with one of the truest human beings you can image. or maybe you cant. But my dearest friend- my comrade- my wee bit of laughter that I needed so much - Paul- County Laois Ireland. I gave the words to you and we miss you and we still cherish you. Your breath & spirit are still with us. But you....♥ we miss you dear-heart.
+stacyblue1980 Lovely tribute. I too had that same red covered edition. I lost it many years ago and wish I hadn't. There was something charming about it. Not just the cover, but the type as well.
Pontoon Bubblestick ah yes the type! Aww I miss it dearly. I could get lost with that book. I would walk my little dog , Polly, a Cairn Terrier She was the best friend a kid could have. Id sit in the grass and read that book until dusk. I will never forget those days. Me & Polly. Very special little moments from youth. Thank you for your comment. Maybe we can find another copy of that wonderful , magical red book. Sorry if im being too sentimental.. Im beat after work. Mind is going back some place ...
My dad used to tell me about this recording, and what Yeats said. Lovely to find it...
I always come back to this video because it is the only sound that satisfies my longing to know Yeats as Man.
Thank you for posting this amazing recording. It is magic to hear the great man himself recite his own poetry.
thank you, than you for the sound of Yeats' voice and his words.. when in the miserable present moment and in grey city concerns, Yeats reminds me that there is a deep heart's core.
So brilliant to hear this beautiful poetry in his own voice.
I hope that people listening to this take Yeats' endorsement of William Morris as a great poet seriously and look into that sadly neglected poet. Most people are familiar with his wallpaper designs more than his poems. See for example:
A Garden by the Sea
I know a little garden-close,
Set thick with lily and red rose,
Where I would wander if I might
From dewy morn to dewy night,
And have one with me wandering.
And though within it no birds sing,
And though no pillared house is there,
And though the apple-boughs are bare
Of fruit and blossom, would to God
Her feet upon the green grass trod,
And I beheld them as before.
There comes a murmur from the shore,
And in the close two fair-streams are,
Drawn from the purple hills afar,
Drawn down unto the restless sea:
Dark hills whose heath-bloom feeds no bee,
Dark shore no ship has ever seen,
Tormented by the billows green
Whose murmur comes unceasingly
Unto the place for which I cry.
For which I cry both day and night,
For which I let slip all delight,
Whereby I grow both deaf and blind,
Careless to win, unskilled to find,
And quick to lose what all men seek.
Yet tottering as I am and weak,
Still have I left a little breath
To seek within the jaws of death
An entrance to that happy place,
To seek the unforgotten face,
Once seen, once kissed, once reft from me
Anigh the murmuring of the sea.
wonder filled indeed, present with wonder, waving. I surely don't know what to say, so I'm just addressing this with a homage intentioned rant, it was wonderful to read out loud, exploring its enactment possibilities
Hello Ireland! Greetings from Ukraine.
Love W.B.Yeats poems. He was great.
OH MY GOSH! This is my great (x4) uncle! This is so cool. Thank you!!!
are you serious?
@@screachog-reilige yes
Incredible
Big fan of your great Uncle. Love from India ❣️
I love you forever, William, soul of Ireland ♥
It's actually amazing to hear him recite his own poetry. So proud to be related to this man.
And great way to study for my exam tomorrow!! x
Yeah yeah yeah..ok
What a privilege to hear Mr William Butler Yeats read his own work, on this day, the 150th anniversary of his birth on 13th June 1865. Thank you for sharing these wonderful recordings. :)
I did not know of these recordings before - what a wonderful historical record to hear such a poet reading his own work. Thank you very much for posting this =)
Finally, at 72, last year, i got to arise and go. Before it was too late. It was amazing: there was one other person there, overlooking Innisfree. I learned the story of how, when Yeats was young, he walked all the way there from Sligo. On a small building, near the overlook, someone had stenciled a picture of his face, and the slogan, “Poetry saved my life.”
May it save us all. May we once again be able to sit in cafès and have those quintessential Yeatsian moments:
“While on the shop and street I gazed
My body of a sudden blazed;
And twenty minutes more or less
It seemed, so great my happiness,
That I was blessed and could bless”
Thank you so much for posting this, I love this poem and it is amazing to have it read by W.B Yeats
This was amazing to listen to while I read it from my book of the collected poems of W. B. Yeats. And what he did with rhythm brought the poem to life
part of this was in a cd rom encyclopedia when i was a kid. i have loved his work ever since.
Treating myself to this on my 70th birthday. Salute to the masters gone before.
- as a young teenager I visted his grave
'Cast a cold Eye
On Life, on Death.
Horseman, pass by!'
Spot on
It's engraved on his headstone
With a metal caged horse thing 😅😂
Eternal gratitude.
Wonderful, its amazing to hear that little moment that has been captured in time.
Glad to hear this with the full intro which was not included on the Now and in Times to Come CD, love hearing his voice; the 2nd one i never heard, thank you ~ Aloha ~
I been to his grave twice now. Its very plain.
Love the way he reads this, its kind of enchanting.
it does stay in the mind n touches the heart ............
I have really enjoyed listening to Eliot and Yeats
I wish we had more recordings of poets reading their poetry...It is so illuminating..
LOVE this man so much! The best. This isnt my favorite poem of his but it IS cool to hear him. God bless him. Thanx 4 posting!
stacyblue1980 What is your favourite?
Beautiful to hear his voice, thank you so much for sharing!
This is fabulous! Thank you so much for posting.
The greatest poet ever to write in the English language bar none.
Lovely to listen to the poet himself. I collect all W B Y`s collections of poems.
A rare privilege to hear him! thank you
brychar66, very much
Such an honor to be able to listen to the man known as the greatest poet in Ireland; thanks for uploading this. His Castle of Heroes lives on in memory, in thought and emotion.
I RISE in the dawn, and I kneel and blow Till the seed of the fire flicker and glow;
And then I must scrub and bake and sweep
Till stars are beginning to blink and peep;
And the young lie long and dream in their bed
Of the matching of ribbons for bosom and head,
And their y goes over in idleness,
And they sigh if the wind but lift a tress:
While I must work because I am old,
And the seed of the fire gets feeble and cold.
this video helped me a lot on a report on 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree'. this man was and always will be a great poet
This Irish boy is in awe. Thank you.
go raibh maith agat.
The accent is truly Sligo.
@@AddaLynn08 yeah yeah yeah ok..
I get chills listening to this.
One cannot not feel hearty acknowledgedness towards this great writer W.B.YEATS.
Thank you for sharing..
Wonderful stuff. Thank you very much for this! :)
Musician Loreena McKennitt has set some of Yeats and Tennyson's poetry to music. "She Moved Thru the Fair", "Bonny Swans", "Lady of Shallott." Her voice is beautiful. Classified as World/Celtic mostly. If you like her listen to "Dante's Prayer". Written after seeing dispair of Russia and reading "Dante's Inferno" in 1995 train trip. There is no one quite like her. Find these on youtube.
And her best Yeats was The stolen child also done by the Waterboys
Dorothy Katherine Hawley Ackenhusen passed away peacefully at home in Ann Arbor, Mich., on June 24, 2015, at age 90. She was a true intellectual with a kind and loving heart. She was also a real fighter for life, persisting under hospice care for well over one year despite her ailments. She is survived by her husband, John Goodyear Ackenhusen; and four children, Delmer Harold Reed Jr., Jon Anthony Reed, Carlton Kent Reed, and Katherine Michele Reed.
Kay was born October 17, 1924 in St. Albans, W.Va., to Katherine Melissa Wells Hawley and William Harold Hawley. She spent the last 43 years of her life married to her loving husband, John G. Ackenhusen. She was formerly married to Delmer Harold Reed.
Kay earned a bachelor's degree in English and religion (summa cum laude) from The University of Charleston (W.Va.). While teaching full time, she earned a master's degree in English literature (minor in philosophy) from Marshall University (W.Va.) specializing in Irish literature with emphasis on the writings of William Butler Yeats. She attended the Yeats Summer School, Sligo, Ireland, for six summers.
She was a gifted and brilliant teacher who inspired her students to challenge themselves and to see a world beyond themselves. During her career, she taught English Language and Literature at Fairleigh Dickinson University (Madison, N.J.), Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti, Mich.), and University of Charleston (W.Va.). She also taught English and speech at South Charleston High School (W.Va.), where she was the only female advisor in the United States of the Hi-Y young men's club. She transmitted her enthusiasm for all things Irish to her husband and her 2,000 plus students. She was regarded by many of her students as one of their best teachers.
She was active in the Presbyterian Church, teaching Sunday school and developing curriculum. Since moving to Ann Arbor, she participated in the Faculty Women's Club, Ann Arbor Women's City Club, the Ann Arbor Thrift Shop, and the choir of the First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor. Since the passing of her beloved dog over 25 years ago, she brought four dogs and two cats into her pet family over a period of two years, all of whom provided her comfort in her last years by snuggling with her constantly.
A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday July 19, at First Presbyterian Church, 1432 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, followed by a memorial reception at Conor O'Neill's Irish Pub, 318 S. Main, Ann Arbor (additional parking available at the funeral home within walking distance). Visitation will occur the day before, Saturday, July 18, 2015, at Muehlig Funeral Chapel, 403 S. Fourth Avenue, Ann Arbor, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Information will be accumulated and posted under Kay's name at: www.muehligannarbor.com. Won't you please post your memories for us?
Contributions in memory of Dorothy Katherine Ackenhusen may be made to The First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, 1432 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
*** Tough, inspiring teacher; loyal, good always. ***
- See more at: www.wvgazette.com/gz/Obituaries#sthash.FtSkfavn.dpuf
Yeats was born in Dublin,Yeats in life and death will remain Ireland.
I'm haunted with his great sense in many of his great works .
What a treasure - readings by the poet himself!!! Thank you brychar66 for sharing it.
Oh this is a great find! Thank you.
I just visited the place he died, Cap-Martin, France. The house is still there. Very pretty place. 1939.
fantastic discovery
(a classic version recorded in song by the waterboys is a worthy listen)
I just had the opportunity this last year. It was life changing.
Thank you for this
Priceless!
I'm happy to hear his voice
Thank you. I did. I can't think of anything more to add without being patronizing. His genius is known; I wouldn't expect more. With that being said; his words move me, even me! An uncultured auto mechanic. When I recite The Song of Wandering Aengus to myself, it moves me. I don't know why.
its so nice to fall asleep to this
I found out recently he used to hang out with the Bloomsbury set near where I grew up.
@brychar66 -- I have spent a little time this evening following your line of thought. I have noticed your posts hitherto. I like the Klavier renditition of the Liebestod on your first site. I remember the the first performance I saw live at the Zurich Opera House in the early 1960's. It is so well situated. My sincere compliments on your Cavafy translations. understated, yes. from a fellow goat, all food fortune .... raven
My favourite poem x
I love this great Poet.
Love from Libya
Happy birthday, Mr. Yeats :)
Precious🌹
wonderful, thank you. i'm hoping to include in a piece for community radio.
Thank you for this excellent answer.
Thank you!
as a cuban nationalist, living iin the us, i respect yeatsto to the almost, and to hear his voice, is a miracle.
A man of spirit and nature.
probably my favourite poet of 20th century
Wonderful. Thank you!
beeeuttiful.
It's "The Lake Isle of Innishfree", which he wrote. There are other readings by others to the right which have better clarity in the recording. Inspired by this poem and the actual Isle, Richard Farrelly wrote the song, Isle of Innishfree in 1949. It was featured in the movie, "The Quiet Man". The poem and song are quite different, but have similar themes.
I hope you get to go there some day!
I still think that Yeats is the greatest modern poet than anyone else.
Poet who is starting to sound now like a prophet here and there.
willie yeats is now long dead
pass by and do forget
he backed the blue shirts
to his shame
perhaps it was some old prot game
but he wrote pure poetry
and for this his name blessed be
so bless him in his eloquence
for his politics not two pence
This is beautiful. I get to sing it. With a choir. I really like it the poem is beautiful.
This is a treasure.
He sings his poem - he must because either poetry is music or it is just talk
I am certain that Pound imitated him. Even though Pound was trying to be different than everyone else, his idol was Yeats and his delivery in Hugh Selwyn Mauberley is an exact replica.
The great man.
There is tonality there, reminds me of Leonard Cohen!
Fiachra McKeever I just love that sentiment. Bards are so incredibly important. They bring forth the collective through memory. We will begin to remember what is truly important. Ireland is the soul of this earth, it all starts there.
If you look at the Lissadell web site, you will see evidence of this connection. I was there and, when I saw their Leonard Cohen memorial garden, I wept
Mesmerising…..
Oh what a special pleasure!
Sehr beeindruckend!
I hope you are not disappointed with what you find there.
Yeats´ pre-war accent may be a little hard to take - a sort of special Irish literary idiom - but the slow pace is absolutely essential. There is an American tradition that treats poetry as prose which is grotesque when used for Yeats (plenty of examples on youtube). There is always something of incantation there.
Dylan Thomas seemed to have learned from hearing him. Thomas's reading of Lapis Lazuli captured me years ago....
The best of the top
That's possible, but either way, Yeats identified most with his Anglo-Irish ancestry. Recall his fiery words on the floor of the Irish Senate in 1925: "We [the Anglo-Irish] are one of the great stocks of Europe. We are the people of Burke; we are the people of Grattan; we are the people of Swift, the people of Emmet, the people of Parnell. We have created the most of the modern literature of this country. We have created the best of its political intelligence."
Ya YEAT!!!
Priceless
Great. Many thanks
@JenFrusciante I visited the Yeats museum in Sligo and stayed at a B and B under Ben Bulben's head. My family originated in Armagh but came to the U.S. early. I have always felt an affinity with Irish literature, and studied under W.R. Rodgers. Are you descended from Jack Yeats? Mullaney Bros. in Sligo has a Yeats sisters carpet upstairs... he took us up to see it.
You all have to check out Yeats' other accomplishments, particularly, The Tower.