In the Seven Woods

It’s been far too long since I’ve read any of Yeats’ poetry, so it’s about time that I got back into it. Some of his collections are hit and miss for me, but In the Seven Woods was a very interesting read since it taps into the height of his interest in Celtic mysticism and nature-based themes. According to some reviewers this was the beginning of the end of his more romantic ideals, but I would argue that while Yeats displays a certain amount of cynicism (read: realism in some cases) in about half of the poems the remainder are still filled with images of the wild forest, the green goddess and her animal companions, and the quiet pagan spirituality of Ireland. The tone of the collection really seems to be split between Yeats’ show more Celtic interests and his commentary about relationships, which is a slightly odd pairing in my eyes, but did make the collection interesting to contemplate as a whole. I should really brush up on his biography (something I almost never do), since I have a sneaking suspicion that this dichotomy must have been a result of changes in his relationship with his wife or family. Though she published the collection, so maybe it’s all just melo-drama (haha). show less