W.B.Yeats:HisPoetryandThought

ProfessorStockhaswrittenacriticalinterpretationofYeats'spoemsforthereaderwhoisinterestedenoughtostudythepoetryattentivelybutisnotfamiliarwitheitherYeats'sproseorhisscholarship.Theunderlyingideaofthisbookisthat,althoughthepoet'sbeliefsandthepowerofhispoetryaredifferentthings,greatpoetrydoesnotgrowoutofinsincereorflabbythinking.BecauseYeats'sthoughtisoftendisconcerting,readerstendtotreatitasanaberrationratherthananessentialpartofhispoetry.Thus,inrelationtothepoems,ProfessorStockconsidersthreeelementsofhisthoughtatsomelength-hispreoccupationwithIrishtradition,hissocialandpoliticaloutlook,andtheideasformulatedinAVision.InparticularProfessorStock(herselfIrish)hasdweltconsiderablyonYeats'slifelongpreoccupationwithhisIrishinheritance,andwiththedistinctivetraditionandtemperamentbehindhiswriting.Finally,ProfessorStockhaspaidconsiderableattentiontoYeats'sborrowingsfromeasternthought.