Join us for this two-part series in which we will read and discuss poems from W. B. Yeats's 1933 poetry collection The Winding Stair, both as poems and in terms of their historical context.

The Winding Stair and Other Poems (1933) is a poetry collection by W.B. Yeats, one of Ireland's most celebrated literary figures. The collection is often seen as a companion to his earlier work, The Tower (1928), and reflects Yeats's continued exploration of themes such as aging, mortality, love, politics, and the tension between the physical and spiritual realms. The title refers to the winding staircase of Thoor Ballylee, Yeats's Norman tower in Galway, which serves as a central symbol for the poet's inward journey and search for meaning.

Key poems in the collection include "A Dialogue of Self and Soul," which examines the conflict between earthly desires and spiritual aspirations, and "Byzantium," a companion to "Sailing to Byzantium," where Yeats delves into themes of art, eternity, and transcendence. Other notable works include "Words for Music Perhaps" and "A Woman Young and Old," Yeats's most searing meditations on femininity, mortality, the body, and sex.