The Celtic Twilight

First published in 1893, “The Celtic Twilight” is a collection of poetry and Celtic folklore tales by the famed Irish poet William Butler Yeats. Born and educated in Dublin, Ireland, Yeats discovered early in his literary career a fascination with Irish folklore and stories of the occult and supernatural. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923, Yeats produced a vast collection of stories, songs, and poetry of Ireland’s historical and legendary past throughout his lengthy career. “The Celtic Twilight” includes forty-two Celtic folklore tales, and Yeats makes no secret of his fascination, and even belief, in the world of magic and the existence of faeries. He combines these ancient tales, which captivated and inspired him as a child, with his talent for lyrical poetry, and the result is a beautiful and timeless collection of stories and legends. Yeats’ passion in these tales comes forth through the pages and adds a new and evocative dimension to these familiar myths. Though the stories are short in length, there is no scarcity of depth and description and Yeats’ collection remains an important addition to the Irish folklore tradition. This edition includes a biographical afterword.