William Butler Yeats
Lesson plans and teaching ideas
|Biography and Background|
|Specific Poems|
The Magic of Yeats
Background, some interpretation, related links.
William Butler Yeats
Good biographical background, analysis of themes, poetric technique, and imagery.
William Butler Yeats
Biography and links to e-texts of several poems.
William Butler Yeats, Winner of the 1923 Nobel Prize in Literature
Background and related links.
Assignment 2: The Soldier
Using Hardy's "The Man he Killed," Yeats' "An Irish Airman Foresees his Death," and Brooke's "The Soldier," students explore character traits of the speakers.
"The Cap and Bells"
Brief summary and suggestions for writing an analysis.
"The Host of the Air"
This study guide includes suggestions for writing an analysis.
Origin of "The Lake Isle of Innisfree"
From Yeats' autobiography, located at the Thoreau Reader.
Listen to Poetry
Scroll down to listen to Anthony Hopkins read "The Lake Isle of Innisfree."
Repeat After Us
Audio files of some Yeats poems. A good site for LD students, ELL students, and for those who read well and might like to record and contribute. Files are in alphabetical order by poet; scroll down.
"The Song of the Old Mother"
Analysis and ideas for responding to the poem.
"The Song of the Old Mother"
Among the resources here, don't miss the video. Pictures and audio will help students visualize the poem.
"When You Are Old"
Click on "Launch Lesson" to listen to the poem and to access a paraphrase and analysis of theme, imagery, and more. Click on "Points to Ponder" for reflection questions.
"When You Are Old"
Scroll down to find the audio file of an introduction and poet Diane Thiel reading the poem.
"The Wild Old Wicked Man" by William Butler Yeats
Jazz musician Wynton Marsalis read the poem in this video. Scroll down for discussion questions and analysis. This video runs 2:17. It is captioned and downloadable.
"The Wild Swans at Coole"
Click on "Launch Lesson" to listen to the poem and to read a paraphrase and analysis. Click on "Points to Ponder" for reflection questions.
William Butler Yeats Study Questions
Discussion questions for these poems: "The Lake Isle of Innisfree," "The Second Coming," "Sailing to Byzantium," "Leda and the Swan," "Among School Children," "Byzantium," and "Crazy Jane Talks with the Bishop."
