The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats Audiobook By Compiled by John Kavanagh cover art

The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats

By: Compiled by John Kavanagh
Narrated by: Jim Norton, Denys Hawthorne, Nicholas Boulton, Marcella Riordan
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $9.46

Buy for $9.46

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

William Butler Yeats remains one of the most popular poets of the 20th century.

"The Lake Isle of Innisfree," "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven," "Down by the Salley Gardens," "The Secret Rose": these are just a few of the poems that made William Butler Yeats an international figure. Born in Dublin in 1865, Yeats drew strength from the Irish tradition, as can be seen in this special audiobook, which presents the most important poems in the context of his life and ambitions.

His poetic urgency was fuelled by an active and varied life, as he gained his inspiration from the men and women he knew, classical sources, and contemporary politics.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2002 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd. (P)2002 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd.
European Poetry Ireland
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Editorial reviews

Narrators Jim Norton and Denys Hawthorn make this compilation of W.B. Yeats’s life and poetry a listening joy. From the lovely tenor voice that opens the audiobook to the recitation of many of the most beloved of the poet’s offerings, listeners will be enthralled. As well as providing captivating interpretations of individual poems, Norton and Hawthorn deliver the prose with equal passion without ever overdramatizing. They keep the biographical aspects engrossing as they detail the events in Yeats’s life that influenced his poetry. Top-notch listening for poetry lovers and those new to Yeats and the Irish tradition. 2003 Audie Award Finalist

What listeners say about The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    34
  • 4 Stars
    20
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    31
  • 4 Stars
    8
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    21
  • 4 Stars
    18
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not the complete works

This audible book is equivalent to an overview of the life and works of WB Yeats. Although well done, be aware that it is not comprehensive.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Greatest poet of his generation

What did you love best about The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats?

Very well-done. I wish it included more of Yeats' poetry.

What did you like best about this story?

A biography of Yeats, with selected poems (shorter poems.)

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

The speakers are excellent.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very good recording

The quality was very good. The poems read were particularly good as they captured very well the rhythm, pace and meter of each poem. The recording presented a comprehensive anthology of Yeats' works at the various stages of his career. Though I enjoy poetry I am not well schooled in the art form. Therefore, Yeats' Byzantium that everyone seems to proclaim as his greatest work, fell on deaf ears with me. Like so many authors and writers of his era, poems written during WW1 seem to have a much darker cast underlying them.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent!!

It's a great overview of Yeats's life and work from beginning to end, with wonderful narration.

Definitely worth the purchase.

No regrets...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enlightening on all aspects of his life and work

Would you consider the audio edition of The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats to be better than the print version?

I enjoyed the audio mainly for the reading of his life and poetry and the music was an added bonus. If you miss the pictures that a book would have, there is always the internet.

What other book might you compare The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats to and why?

The Husband lives of Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath. It compares favourably.

What about Jim Norton and Denys Hawthorne ’s performance did you like?

Top class performances.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

very well produced

A smart, if limited selection of poems, mostly early Yeats, staged and spoken very capably.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!