Irish Immigration Life: June 13 marks the birthday of the renowned Irish poet William Butler Yeats. In honor of the 150th anniversary of Yeats' birth, various events will be held around the world to remember this greatest contemporary poet.
Supported by Irish President Higgins, Yeats 2015 is calling on people worldwide to record their readings of Yeats' poetry to create a global audio archive of Yeats. President Higgins has also contributed his own reading of "A Prayer for My Daughter," while former Irish President Mary Robinson shared her reading of "The Song of Wandering Aengus." Currently, Yeats 2015 has attracted poets, actors, writers, musicians, scholars, politicians, and journalists from different countries. The work "When You Are Old," read by Baidu founder, chairman, and CEO Robin Li and the Irish Ambassador to China, Paul Kavanagh, will also be donated to the Yeats 2015 global audio archive through Poetry for You and the Irish Embassy in China.
Kavanagh stated that Yeats is recognized as the national poet of Ireland, playing a central role in the emergence of modern, independent, and free Irish consciousness, building a culture that belongs to Ireland on the foundation of ancient traditions.
About the Person:
Yeats, an Irish poet, playwright, and essayist, is a renowned mystic and a leader of the Irish Renaissance movement, as well as one of the founders of the Abbey Theatre. Yeats' poetry, influenced by Romanticism, Aestheticism, Mysticism, Symbolism, and Metaphysical poetry, has evolved into a unique style. In 1923, Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, presented personally by the King of Sweden, for expressing the spirit of an entire nation through inspiring poetry in a highly artistic form. Poet T.S. Eliot praised him as the greatest poet of his time.
Inspired by the oral tradition of ancient Irish bards, Yeats aimed for his poetry to be written not only for reading but also for listening. Thus, when people read Yeats' poetry, there is a wonderful sensation between the lips and teeth. In 1932, Yeats even recorded his poem "Innisfree" for Wireless, using sound to express poetry.