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fly fisherman: W. B. Yeats's perfect man

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Date Issued:
1999
Summary:
William Butler Yeats directed much of his poetry to the construction of the antithetical or perfect man which he defined as "being most unlike myself" (Allt 371). Yeats also wanted to see Ireland reach this condition. He presented heroes from Irish mythology his contemporaries, and imaginatively created figures who had the strength of character to accomplish a new and self identifiable culture. Yeats wanted Ireland and its citizens to become a modern day "Byzantium" of his classical reference. From his own fishing experience Yeats created the fly fisherman, an image who Yeats saw as "Climbing up to a place ... A man who does not exist ... A man who is but a dream"(Allt 348). In this figure Yeats incorporates his thoughts concerning the value of antithesis, religion, philosophy, nationalism and the concept of the mask. This thesis will propose that the fisherman and his activities are metaphorical applications of Yeats's search for antithesis whether it be for himself, mankind or his country.
Title: The fly fisherman: W. B. Yeats's perfect man.
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Name(s): Halloran, Richard James, III.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Peyton, Ann, Thesis advisor
Faraci, Mary, Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1999
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 78 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: William Butler Yeats directed much of his poetry to the construction of the antithetical or perfect man which he defined as "being most unlike myself" (Allt 371). Yeats also wanted to see Ireland reach this condition. He presented heroes from Irish mythology his contemporaries, and imaginatively created figures who had the strength of character to accomplish a new and self identifiable culture. Yeats wanted Ireland and its citizens to become a modern day "Byzantium" of his classical reference. From his own fishing experience Yeats created the fly fisherman, an image who Yeats saw as "Climbing up to a place ... A man who does not exist ... A man who is but a dream"(Allt 348). In this figure Yeats incorporates his thoughts concerning the value of antithesis, religion, philosophy, nationalism and the concept of the mask. This thesis will propose that the fisherman and his activities are metaphorical applications of Yeats's search for antithesis whether it be for himself, mankind or his country.
Identifier: 9780599201286 (isbn), 15617 (digitool), FADT15617 (IID), fau:12374 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1999.
Subject(s): Yeats, W B--(William Butler),--1865-1939--Criticism and interpretation
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15617
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.