William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He is considered a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923 "for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation."

Yeats's early poetry was characterized by its lyricism and romanticism, drawing inspiration from Irish legends and folklore. As he matured, his style evolved, incorporating symbolism, modernist techniques, and a more colloquial and conversational tone. He explored themes of love, loss, Irish identity, history, and the nature of time.

Yeats was heavily influenced by the mystical and occult, which found their way into his poetry and prose. His work often explores the relationship between the physical world and the spiritual realm, drawing on sources like Irish mythology, theosophy, and spiritualism. Yeats was also a playwright and helped establish the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, a significant institution for the development of Irish drama.

Authors who shared stylistic or thematic similarities with Yeats include William Blake, John Keats, and Arthur Symons. His work continues to be studied and celebrated today for its beauty, intellectual depth, and enduring relevance to contemporary concerns about identity, art, and the human condition.