Yeats Speech In Jack El Khoury

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Recommended: Years as an Irish national poet

Yeats Speech Assessment – Jack El Khoury
In his poetry Yeats combines a commitment to Irish themes with an explanation of his own psyche and an account of his own spiritual quest – Seamus Heaney. In light of your critical study, how does this statement resonant with your own interpretation of Easter 1916 and at least ONE other poem set for study?

Good morning Mrs Jacobs and Mr Lynch,
Today I am here to speak about William Butler Yeats, a renowned Irish poet, who within his poetry, is known to present an explanation of his own psyche in conjunction with the Irish themes that define his works. But where exactly do we see this? Well, I believe that this is evident through the use of language and other literary devices, in poems such as ‘Easter 1916’ and ‘Leda and the Swan’, which convey the significance of Yeats’ message as he examines the changes that were developing in Ireland during his era.

Throughout ‘Easter 1916’, Yeats illuminates a personal explanation of the duality of war and revolution. Repetition of the oxymoron, “a terrible beauty is born” is an ideal example of textual integrity, which illustrates Yeats’ personal perspective surrounding the Easter rising. The contradictive diction of the words “terrible” and “beauty” showcases Yeats’ bilateral perception of the war. Although a nationalist concerned with the continual development of Irish liberation, Yeats rejected violence, as a means of attaining independence. The rhetorical question “was it needless death after all?” questions the sacrifice of the Irish soldiers, suggesting that Yeats himself did not believe any ‘beauty’ would result from the uprising. C.K. Stead reassures Yeats’ denunciation of violence by stating that the ‘terrible beauty’, of which Yeats is refe...

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...ike in Easter 1916, Yeats uses the eventual destruction that results to link what he considers the brutal beginning to the violent end. Thus we see that Yeats integrates much of his own philosophy into his poetry, emphasizing specific elements of the poem’s content and significance. In doing so, Yeats demonstrates a commitment to Irish themes in culmination with his psyche, offering a personal commentary of his spiritual quest as his changing mindset expresses the duality of his poetry.
In conclusion, Yeats clearly offers a commitment to Irish themes with an explanation of his own psyche and spiritual quest. This resonates extensively within Yeats’ poetry, in particular ‘Easter 1916’ and ‘Leda and the Swan’, whereby much of the themes explored in the poems are exemplified by Yeats’ ability to integrate his own personal philosophy to the timeless themes he explores.

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