Heroic Reverie: The Nietzschean Voice in Yeats's Last Poems

Abstract

<p>The thesis is an attempt to illuminate some of the philosophic and thematic connections that exist between Yeats and Nietzsche, particularly as they are found in Yeats's Last Poems. While Yeats has certainly not suffered from lack of critical attention, it is my view that the Yeats/Nietzsche connection has not been dealt with fully, and that Yeats's later work especially is more accurately read and understood in the light of Nietzsche's role in the development of Yeats's thought. Where the Nietzschean element in Yeats has been dealt with, the focus has been primarily on the plays, and the more important links between the two writers have been passed over quickly, misconstrued, or ignored altogether. By examining three themes common to both writers, the thesis tries to show that Yeats's connection with Nietzsche is not simply a matter of literary influence, but that Yeats and Nietzsche are united by a common philosophic temperament and way of understanding the world. First and foremost, Yeats and Nietzsche approach life and the world on aesthetic terms. Second, they share a similar tragic world-view. Finally, their conceptions of art, morality and human stature are based on an ideal of strength or power. After the Introduction, which delineates Yeats's reading and acceptance of Nietzsche's work, Chapter One elaborates on these three themes. Chapter Two attempts to snow how these themes form the philosophic basis of Yeats's Last Poems.</p>