From Aestheticism to Deep Philosophy: A Study of the Evolution of Yeats’ Poetic Images from the Perspective of Symbolism

William Butler Yeats, a renowned Irish poet, holds a significant position in literary history. His poetry displays rich cultural significance and emotional expression. Being a master of symbolism, he also incorporates symbolic images into his poetry that evolve throughout his creative career, reflecting changes in his poetic style. Scholars worldwide have made significant progress in comprehending the relationship between Yeats’ personal life and his poetry, particularly its symbolic elements. This has improved our knowledge of his poetry and opened up new avenues for future research. Nevertheless, the existing research is not so comprehensive, for it only examines one or a few images. Consequently, this thesis aims to systematically analyze Yeats’ poetic images from the perspective of symbolism, tracing the evolution of images from his early period of aesthetic romanticism to his middle phase of profound realism, and finally to his late period of philosophical contemplation. The study finds that Yeats' poetic images evolved from early aesthetic and romantic themes to more profound and philosophical concepts, influenced by historical context, personal experiences, and artistic innovation. Key images like the island, rose, swan, stone, and Byzantium reflect his changing perspectives on love, politics, and philosophy.