Poetry for Young People: William Butler Yeats [Hardcover]

Jonathan Allison (Editor), Glenn Harrington (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 28, 2002 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Poetry For Young People

He was the finest modern poet in the English language--plus a playwright, theatre manager, politician, and passionate believer in supernatural. William Butler Yeats' writing captures all the magic and mystery of his native Ireland, and here are some 26 of his finest, most mesmerizing verses. In "The Stolen Child," fairies come in the night to entice a boy away forever to "where the wave of moonlight glosses the dim grey sands with light." Yeats claimed that a Greek folk song inspired "The Song of Wandering Aengus": the excerpt here follows Aengus on his quest to locate an enchanted girl. Visions of a fierce and terrible battle-where "unknown perishing armies beat about my ears"--emerge in "The Valley of the Black Pig," all seen in a dream. Matching the beauty of Yeats' written images are a series of exquisite and evocative paintings, which range from panoramic natural landscapes to compelling portraits of characters both human and fantastic. And, as always, this acclaimed series features fascinating biographical information, introductions to each verse, and full annotations that define difficult unfamiliar vocabulary.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up-Yeats lived a rich, intellectual life and was very much involved in the events of his time. Born in Dublin, the son of a gifted professional family, he trained as a lawyer and also gained fame as a painter, a theatrical manager, and political figure. This collection reveals the poet's love for the landscapes and people of Ireland, especially of County Sligo. Strong themes of Celtic mysticism and the occult appear in several selections. Each poem is prefaced by a few lines that set the scene and is followed by an explanation of difficult words. Beautiful paintings, many full page, show landscapes, people, and animals referred to in the selections. An impressive introduction to this Nobel Prize winner.
Libby K. White, Jewish Vocational Services, Baltimore, MD
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Reviewed with books on Coleridge and Wordsworth in the Poetry for Young People series.

Gr. 6-10. The editors of these handsome collections in the Poetry for Young People series have chosen well, bringing together about 20 of each great poet's most accessible, compelling poems, with selections that range from Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" to Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" and Yeats' stark, dramatic "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death." The full-color paintings on each page are beautiful. Each volume begins with a helpful general biography and a critical introduction to the poet's work. On the page with each poem, brief editorial notes provide useful context and guidance (if only the notes were at the back of the book, so that the reader could first enjoy a poem free of commentary). In fact, the book design is a problem, especially in the Yeats book. Harrington's impressionistic art is lush and beautiful, evoking the Irish landscapes, fantasy worlds, and stormy emotions of the verse; but the large pictures leave no space for readers to imagine what the words suggest, and much of the type is hard to read because it's printed right on the dark, full-page paintings. In the Coleridge and Wordsworth collections there is a lot more white space, and the illustrations evoke each poet's world without totally overwhelming the verbal images. None of this classic poetry is easy reading, and all three books will work best for reading aloud and group discussion. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Sterling; annotated edition edition (August 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806966157
• ISBN-13: 978-0806966151
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary Criticism & Collections

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE THIS ONE!, November 5, 2006

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Poetry for Young People: William Butler Yeats (Hardcover)

I cannot think of a better way to introduce the poetry of William Butler Yeats than this small volume. The selection is excellent and of interest you the young reader. The commentary is quite relevant as are the pictures which accompany it. I find that often now, our young people go all the way through the early grades in school and many of them have never heard of Yeats,much less read his poetry. This was the sort of stuff my generation and the generation before it grew up on and cut our teeth on. I do not feel I am any worse for the wear. I am fearful that we are bringing up an entire generation (rightfully or wrong, although I feel it is the later) of young folks who will have no appreciation to this great art form and will miss a lot. This book helps. This entire series helps, as a matter of fact and I certainly recommend you add this one and the others to your library. Actually, it is rather fun reading these with the young folk and then talking about them. Not only do you get to enjoy the work your self and perhaps bring back some great memories, but you have the opportunity to interact with your child or student. It is actually rather surprising what some of the kids come up with. I read these to my grandchildren and to the kids in my classes at school. For the most part, when I really get to discussing the work with them, they enjoy it. Recommend this one highly.