W.B.Yeats Reading His Own Verse

Yeats made these recordings for the wireless in 1932, 1934 and the last on 28 October 1937 when he was 72. He died on January 28 1939. The photograph shows him sitting before the microphone in 1937.

[@bassimammarammara2890]

I'm Iraqi , I still dream visiting Great Ireland and going where Yeats went and sing .

[@mirraculous]

What an honor! As an english student studying poetry and coming across this, is truly a gift.

[@artist51]

I memorized and recited The Isle of Innesfree for my father on his deathbed, and then he died in front of me. Rosemary Kavanagh O'Carroll

[@finnmccool684]

I have a book signed by William Butler Yeats.

[@varasuetamminga9519]

Yeats is a singer, his poems are songs. Russian poets have this same chanting style of reading. I love it. We have made poetry more and more of the intellect, sharing our thoughts, but surly we should let it return to music. It finds its home there.

[@MarkRobertCuthbert]

- as a young teenager I visted his grave 'Cast a cold Eye On Life, on Death. Horseman, pass by!'

[@eleanorforster2867]

How wonderful to be able to hear Yeats read his own beautiful poetry. Thank you so much!

[@missdee4927]

What a treat to hear his voice. My favorite all time poet.

[@kathrynyeats4212]

OH MY GOSH! This is my great (x4) uncle! This is so cool. Thank you!!!

[@LiteratureTodayUK]

My dad used to tell me about this recording, and what Yeats said. Lovely to find it...

[@stacyblue1980]

I have not listened to this in several years. I had an old copy of his "Selected poems & Plays". It was a strange looking book. Red cover. Red was odd. In a good way. I carried that old book forever. Read it a hundred times. I grew up adoring it and Yeats' writing. In my later years- about late 20s I decided to give that one special old book to a dear friend of mine. That friend is gone now. About 7 years. Hard to think about that but that magical old red book . It was shared with one of the truest human beings you can image. or maybe you cant. But my dearest friend- my comrade- my wee bit of laughter that I needed so much - Paul- County Laois Ireland. I gave the words to you and we miss you and we still cherish you. Your breath & spirit are still with us. But you....♥ we miss you dear-heart.

[@EmEnz1]

Thank you for posting this amazing recording. It is magic to hear the great man himself recite his own poetry.

[@sweetjoybefallthee]

I hope that people listening to this take Yeats' endorsement of William Morris as a great poet seriously and look into that sadly neglected poet. Most people are familiar with his wallpaper designs more than his poems. See for example:

[@7Katherine1]

thank you, than you for the sound of Yeats' voice and his words.. when in the miserable present moment and in grey city concerns, Yeats reminds me that there is a deep heart's core.

[@Cygnus75]

I love you forever, William, soul of Ireland ♥

[@shirleydostoevsky4721]

I always come back to this video because it is the only sound that satisfies my longing to know Yeats as Man.

[@christopherrobbins9985]

So brilliant to hear this beautiful poetry in his own voice.

[@arbak2]

Thank you so much for posting this, I love this poem and it is amazing to have it read by W.B Yeats

[@RennyJackson]

Beautiful to hear his voice, thank you so much for sharing!

[@lisaorlando1224]

Finally, at 72, last year, i got to arise and go. Before it was too late. It was amazing: there was one other person there, overlooking Innisfree. I learned the story of how, when Yeats was young, he walked all the way there from Sligo. On a small building, near the overlook, someone had stenciled a picture of his face, and the slogan, “Poetry saved my life.”