The stylistic evolution of Yeats’ travels through several stages across his career. Initially as a young poet, Yeats wrote much literary ornate verse. From his first publication in 1885 he’d been much influenced by the pre-Raphaelites. A group of artists and poets, the pre-Raphaelites shared a conviction that art had become corrupt during the Renaissance, beginning with Raphael, and was in decline there after. With their sentimental and dreamy idilic view of the world, they were an important influence on Yeats' first poetic efforts. Yeats’ also held an enduring admiration for Blake, which aided his style with a rugged simplicity . A typical poem of this period is the freely romantic “Lake Isle of Innisfree.”

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,

Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;

There's midnight all a-glimmer, and noon a purple glow,

And evening full of the linnet' s wings.

This thick, sugary, praise is highly typical of Yeats’ early poetry and his inherited spirit of the general romantic style. At this time, 1890, Yeats’ himself was still in his twenties, his imagination still held the possibiliti

The horseman referred to is one of the riders from the first stanza. He represents the soul, set on hastey pilgrimage through time, its rise from confusion to liberated afterlife. Drawn from a political vocabulary this last image unites Yeats' concern with both these subjects into the system of mystical politics. The possible definitions, of the cold-eyed horseman are greater and more mysterious than explanation offers. It is the quality of great art to be greater than the sum of its parts. The horseman, the soul of man, the soul of the poet, journeying infinitely, expresses and surpasses life and death.

Finally in dramatic tones, the epitaph of Yeats. The stanza holds a simple harshness throughout and arrives at the epitaph, which was actually used on the poet's grave.

The final step of Yeats’ evolving style reflects the stripped, harshness, of his earlier period. With the rejection of his previously delicate constructs of imagery and symbolism, his style was moulded to suit the despair of reality. This final tone to his poetics was an extension of his aging years, he was neither grim nor morbid but exemplified an artistic approach of audacious spirit. His final works were song like and basic, but held a grave anxiety of one whose time was running out. Either fiercely musical ballads or Blakeian visionary utterances whose strong terseness also reached a songlike simplicity. Befitting his final poem “Under Ben Bulben” exemplifies this end.

“Sailing to Byzantium" is a short poem, consisting of four simple stanzas. Initially the poet describes the natural world. The young of all species, birds, fish, people, are busy loving, reproducing and ‘commending’ the flesh. These “generations” are “dying” from the their birth yet are failing to realise. Caught in the “sensual music” of life, they ignore “Monuments of unaging intellect” art work, philosophy and religion, all the non-physical imaginative products of man. Yeats then queries the possibility of place among these young sensualists for a man, whose senses have already begun to fail.

Some topics in this essay:
Abbey Theatre, Sistine Chapel, Ezra Pound, Isle Innisfree”, Ireland Separating, London Paris, Byzantium” Imagination, , Maud Gonne's, Mareotic Lake, stylistic evolution, life death, “adam's curse”, “monuments unaging intellect”, yeats' stylistic, conversational manner, “sailing byzantium”, yeats’ poetry, “sensual music”, according yeats, philosophy religion, yeats' stylistic evolution,