Yeats is a peculiar poet. His poetry is layered with deeper meanings. These come to the fore in terms of his subject matter. I firmly believe that his poems can be interpreted three or four ways and this can be quite difficult for a reader to comprehend. The point I would disagree on is Yeats’ use of style.
His use of repetition to emphasize a point such as ‘Romantic Ireland’s dead and gone, it’s with O’Leary in the grave,’ from September 1913 or ‘I will arise and go now,’ in The Lake Isle of Inisfree allow the reader to understand the importance of such statements. This links back perfectly to Yeats’ layered topics. In The Lake Isle of Inisfree, Yeats points to the importance of getting away from the busy city life and into the solitude of nature.
One can interpret this as escapism, but also perhaps, a refined love of the Irish countryside. ‘And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow.’ The Wild Swans at Coole facilitates this point further. A poem that can be read as a heart-breaking declaration of both ageism and isolation can also be tracked back to Yeats’ love of nature. His description of the aforementioned swans is stunning.
‘But now they drift on the still water, Mysterious, beautiful.’ The poems are clearly layered, and at first reading I found some to be difficult to gain a full understanding, but the manner and skill in which Yeats presents them are not. The depth to Yeats’ poetry can be confusing, but thanks to his use of repetition, the reader knows when to focus in. This is fully enhanced by his use of such vivid imagery.
