Superiority of Age and Mortality in W. B. Yeats’s Vision

This paper explores W. B. Yeats’s perspective on old age and mortality, emphasizing his belief in the superiority of the aged mind and his transcendental attitude toward death. Yeats viewed old age as a stage of life endowed with mature wisdom and intellectual insight, contrasting it with the often impulsive and limited perceptions of youth. By interpreting poems such as “The Tower,” “Men Improve with the Years,” “Lapis Lazuli,” and “Sailing to Byzantium,” this study examines his belief that older individuals possess greater wisdom, intelligence, and even superior enthusiasm and imagination compared to the young. Yeats’s transcendental attitude toward death reflects his conviction that mortality does not signify an end but rather a transformation. Through close analysis, this paper reveals how Yeats’s reverence for age and acceptance of mortality embodies a philosophy of life that finds meaning in both the spiritual growth of the individual and the timeless continuum of existence.