William Butler Yeats was born in 1865 in Dublin, Ireland. Yeats went to schools in both London, England and Dublin. He was instrumental in both the Irish and British literary establishments. He was not only a poet and dramatist, but he served as an Irish senator for two terms. He was one of the founders of the Abbey Theatre, also known as the National Theatre of Ireland in Dublin so that Celtic and Irish plays could be produced. He also acted as its chief playwright for the first few years and wrote the playhouse’s manifesto. This was part of the Irish literary revival.

In 1887, Yeats’ first volume of verse appeared, but it was his dramatic production that outweighed his poetry. His plays reflected his fascination and lifelong interest in mysticism, mythology and astrology. He would read extensively on the subjects and was influenced by Emanuel Swedenborg. Yeats wrote “The Wanderings of Oisin,” which is based on Irish mythology. It was his first and only long poem. In 1889, Yeats met a 23-year-old heiress who was 18 months younger than he was, and became infatuated with her beauty and her outspoken manners. His obsession with this young heiress would have a significant impact on Yeats’ literary works.

When Yeats was 51-years-old, he was determined to marry and produce an heir. In September of 1916, Yeats proposed to 24-year-old Geroge Hyde-Lees, also known as Georgie. The couple had two children, Anne and Michael. In 1923, Yeats was the first Irishman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.