Famous Authors - W.B. Yeats (2002) VHS Video
W. B Yeats was born in Ireland in 1865, the son of a barrister turned painter. Though he lived in England for part of his life, he was always involved in the politics of Ireland. When the Irish Free State was founded, Yeats served as a member of the Senate for six years. Had Yeats stopped writing before middle age, he may have only been remembered as a minor literary figure; his greatest work was produced between the ages of 50 and 75, an accomplishment that remains unique in the history of poetry. He attained a perfection of form in his proud, strong verse that was unrivaled, winning the Nobel Prize for literature in 1923. He is still revered as not only a great Irish poet, but as one of the greatest poets of the 20th century.