1. William B. Yeats BY Jeffrey Woods

2. Early years William Butler Yeats was born on the 13 th of June 1865 in Sandymount, Dublin. John Butler Yeats and Susan Mary Pollexfen were William’s parents. Soon after William’s birth his family moved to Sligo. From 1884 – 1886 he attended the National College of Art and Design. His first known works were written when he was 17.

3. Maud Gonne In 1889 Yeats met Maud Gonne a 23 year old English heiress and Irish Nationalist. Yeats was obsessed with her beauty and manner and she had a significant effect on his poetry and life. Yeats proposed to Maud on a number of occasions but she refused and instead married Major John MacBride. Yeats remained friendly with Maud after she separated from Major MacBride.

4. Abbey Theatre and Marriage In 1899 W B Yeats, Lady Gregory and Edward Martyn founded The Irish National Theatre. In 1904 Yeats along with J.M. Synge purchased a property and opened The Abbey Theatre. Yeats remained involved with the Abbey until his death. In 1916 Yeats aged 51 married Georgie Hyde- Lees and they went on to have two children.

5. Nobel Prize, Old Age and Death In 1923 Yeats was rewarded The Nobel Prize in Literature. He died and was buried in France in 1939, and his body was moved to County Sligo in 1948.

6. Famous Poems Easter 1916. Sailing to Byzantium. A prayer for my daughter. He wishes for the cloths of Heaven. When you are old.