A Rare Recording of William Butler Yeats Reading His Poetry

The following are the live recordings of William Butler Yeats reading and discussing the inspiration behind three of his most famous poems, "The Lake Island of Innisfree," "The Fiddler of Dooney," and "Song of the Old Mother." Yeats made these three recordings in 1932, 1934, and on October 28, 1937 when he was 72. "The Lake Island of Innisfree" is a twelve-line poem comprising three quatrains, written in 1888 and first published in the National Observer in 1890. The poem is featured in Irish passports. "The Fiddler of Dooney" was first published in 1892. The word "Dooney" refers to Dooney Rock, a small hill overlooking Lough Gill near Sligo. The central theme of poem is the celebration of life and the joy that comes from living it to the fullest. "Song of the Old Mother" first appeared in The Wind Among the Reeds anthology, published in 1899. Written in first person, the poem echoes Yeats' fascination with the Irish peasantry, explaining the difficult chores and struggles of an aged, unfortunate woman.