This course offers an introduction into a classical poetic form. Sonnets are works of poetic art, short, finely crafted and thoughtful. The sonnets presented here offer an avenue into Irish poetry, into Irish culture and Irish history. William Butler Yeats was a major Irish poet. Among his hundreds of poems, a number are produced in the classical sonnet form. In these short poems, Yeats speaks of his love for Maud Gonne, for Ireland, and for his art. He presents images that reflect his understanding of the human condition and of himself.

This course includes an overview of the life of Yeats, introducing his family, his education, his interests and his writing. There is also an introduction to the sonnet poem. It includes a short account of the background and evolution of the form and then sets out its technical aspects. Yeats’s sonnet poems are divided into Sonnets for Maud Gonne, Sonnets for Ireland, Sonnets on Artistry, Sonnets of Vision and finally, Sonnet Self Portraits. Each sonnet is read and then commented on in relation to its form and significance for Yeats. Sonnets by the Irish Poet William Butler Yeats builds knowledge and understanding of a particular group of poems and also of the Ireland out of which they were emerged.