Post-colonial interpretation of Yeats' Irish nationalism

The Irish poet W. B. Yeats began his career with strongly nationalist ideals, but the nature and extent of his nationalism are frequently overlooked or misunderstood. In the light of a recent growing post-colonial interest in the studies of Yeats' work, this paper will consider the complex evolution of his nationalist beliefs. It will also look at Yeats' anti-imperial and anticolonial writings when his poetry is exposed to Said's post-colonial theory. "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" illustrates Yeats' decolonization, and "To Ireland in the Coming Times" reveals Yeats' nationalist sentiments and his resistance to English colonial power.