W.B. Yeats Signed Photograph

Poet, Dramatist and Senator. William Butler Yeats winner of the Nobel medal for Literature © Sligo County Library

Courtesy of Sligo County Library

W.B. Yeats Signed Photograph
Courtesy of Sligo County Library

W.B. Yeats Signed Photograph

Poet, Dramatist and Senator. William Butler Yeats winner of the Nobel medal for Literature © Sligo County Library

Courtesy of Sligo County Library

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Yeats was born in 1865, and moved with his family to London shortly after his birth. He attended school in London until 1880, when his family moved back to Dublin. The young Yeats enjoyed summer holidays in Sligo with his grand parents and did not like school in London. In 1885 Yeats began at the Metropolitian School of Art, later going to the RHA School. He began writing poetry at an early age, and slowly became interested in Irish heritage and mythology, which was to become one of the most important themes in his life's works. In addition to writing poetry Yeats also wrote plays and was very active in setting up the Irish National Theatre, later to become the Abbey Theatre. His influence in literature was recognised by the Nobel awards in 1923.