ARABIA IN YEATS' POETRY
ARABIA IN YEATS' POETRY ARABIA IN YEATS' POETRY
1sIanic Studies. 29 : 1 ( 1990 ) '1 7 The details of the poem offer some difficulty. The image of the falcon who is out of the falconer's control should not be localized as some have suggested, as an image of man loose from Christ; Yeats would not have cluttered the poem by referring to Christ both as falconer and as rocking cradle further on. * Apart from Yeats' symbolic used of falconry (a favourite sport among the Arabs), he deepens his Arabic romanticism in The Second Coming' by further using objects reminiscent of Arabia: Somewhere in sands of the desert A shape with lion body and the head of a man, A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun, 1s moving its slow thighs, while all about it, Reel Shadows of the indginant desert bids.z The name Michael Robartes is nonoriental, but Yeats framed a strong link between Robartes and the Arabs. Michael Robartes, according to Yeats, was an English traveller in Arabia. He went to Damascus to learn Arabic, then proceeded to Makkah. The creation of Michael Robartes by yeats is an imitation like many other writers in English literature who made persons undertaking a journey like that of Robartes and travel in disguise as an Arab, spending some time among the Bedouins of the desert. It is possible that Yeats' creation of his character is drawn from books like Richard Burton's Peltllad Namative 06 a PZgtirnage to Al-Madina and Meccah (1855). Robartes in his journey eventually found himself among the tribe of the Judwali whose doctrines resemble those Yeats examined in Gi&w'~ Speculum Ang&.rrum et HominoluLm as he explained in a letter to Lady ~re~ory (which has been mentioned earlier).fy Robartes learnt frqm the Arabs about their religion and occult practices. The poem Michael Robartes and the Dancer' has the following passage: Opinion is not worth a rush; In this altar-piece the knight, Who grips his long spear so to push That dragon through the fading light,'. The image of a knight and dragon is reminiscent of the Arab Orient. The dragon still remains a powerful figure among certain tribes in the East. Although Yeats' interest in India surpassed his interest in Arabia, yet the matter of Arabia and the Arabs has a distinct place in the imaginary world of W.B. Yeats'. The belief of Yeats in the ancestral roots of the Irish in the Orient seems to have influenced him greatly. His interest in the Arabs and Arabia as a whole seems greater than his interest in Indian philosopy, Japanese drama and other particular oriental areas, though it was an Indian
38 Islamic Studies, 29 : 1 ( 1 W0 ) missionary who opened his eyes to the richness of the Oriental world. That he ranked Aaakn N i g h second to Shakespearean's works shows how 'addicted' Yeats was to Arabia. NOTES AND REFERENCES G.S. Fraser. W.8. Yea4 (London: The British Council-Lungman. 1977). p. 11. F.F. Farag.'(Xiental and Celtic Elements in The ~ o e of h W.B. Yeats.' 1865 W.8. Yea& 1965, edited by D.E.S. Maxwell and S.B. Bushmi. (Ibadan University. 1965). p. 33. C.L. Wrenn.' W.8. Yea&: CO. 1920). p. ?- A mItaIty Sldy, (London: Thomas Murby & S.B. Bushrui, Yeats's Interest'. Yea& C e h w , , (London: Doleman. N.Y.. 1965), p. 280. Allan Wade (ed.) The Lttt@U 06 W.B. Ytatb, (London: Rupert Hort-Davis, 1954), p. 832. Richard Ellmann, The 'Identity 06 Yea&, 19541, p. 183. Allan Wade (ed.) op. d, p. 781. (London: Macmillan & CO.. S. B. Bushrui, op. d, p. 184. 'Ibid. Yeats in this respect was independent in the adaptation of his sources of inspiration. He approved what complied with his ideas and thoughts and gave it the stamp of his own poetic personality as based on intuition not that of logic or scientific thinking. W.B. Yeats, A Ohion, (London: Macmillan & Co.. 1937). p. 257. Sir John Rhys. Lecau on the ad Gtowth 06 Religion ao I@u&.ated by Ceetic Heathendom, (London, 1888). Allan Wade (ed.) op. d p. 781. S. B. Bushrui, op. cit, p. 292. W. B. Yeats '~osa Alchemica', Mythobgiu, (London: 19591, p. 282. S. B. Bushrui, op. cit, pp. 294-296. Allan Wade (ed.) op. cit, p. 644. S. B. Bushrui, op. tit, pp. 287-288. Macmillan Editors, W. 8. Yea& Co&cted P~z~A, (London: Macmillan. 1978) p. 511. 'Ibid, p. 518. S. B. Bushrui, op. cit, p. 300. W. 8. Yea& C&cted Poem, p. 517. ibid, p. 155. 'Ibid, p. 199. rbid. Translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. S. B. Bushrui. op. cit, p. 309. Richard Ellmann, op. cit, pp. 258-259. W. 8. Yea& Co&cted Poem, op. a p. 211. Norman Jeffares. W. 8. Yea& Man and Poet, (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1978), p. 196. W. 8. Yea&' Co&cted WO~ZA, op. Cif, p. 197.
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38 Islamic Studies, 29 : 1 ( 1 W0 )<br />
missionary who opened his eyes to the richness of the Oriental<br />
world. That he ranked Aaakn N i g h second to<br />
Shakespearean's works shows how 'addicted' Yeats was to Arabia.<br />
NOTES AND REFERENCES<br />
G.S. Fraser. W.8. Yea4 (London: The British Council-Lungman. 1977).<br />
p. 11.<br />
F.F. Farag.'(Xiental and Celtic Elements in The ~ o e of h W.B. Yeats.'<br />
1865 W.8. Yea& 1965, edited by D.E.S. Maxwell and S.B. Bushmi.<br />
(Ibadan University. 1965). p. 33.<br />
C.L. Wrenn.' W.8. Yea&:<br />
CO. 1920). p. ?-<br />
A mItaIty Sldy, (London: Thomas Murby &<br />
S.B. Bushrui, Yeats's Interest'. Yea& C e h w , , (London: Doleman.<br />
N.Y.. 1965), p. 280.<br />
Allan Wade (ed.) The Lttt@U 06 W.B. Ytatb, (London: Rupert<br />
Hort-Davis, 1954), p. 832.<br />
Richard Ellmann, The 'Identity 06 Yea&,<br />
19541, p. 183.<br />
Allan Wade (ed.) op. d, p. 781.<br />
(London: Macmillan & CO..<br />
S. B. Bushrui, op. d, p. 184.<br />
'Ibid. Yeats in this respect was independent in the adaptation of his<br />
sources of inspiration. He approved what complied with his ideas and<br />
thoughts and gave it the stamp of his own poetic personality as<br />
based on intuition not that of logic or scientific thinking.<br />
W.B. Yeats, A Ohion, (London: Macmillan & Co.. 1937). p. 257.<br />
Sir John Rhys. Lecau on the ad Gtowth 06 Religion ao<br />
I@u&.ated by Ceetic Heathendom, (London, 1888).<br />
Allan Wade (ed.) op. d p. 781.<br />
S. B. Bushrui, op. cit, p. 292.<br />
W. B. Yeats '~osa Alchemica', Mythobgiu, (London: 19591, p. 282.<br />
S. B. Bushrui, op. cit, pp. 294-296.<br />
Allan Wade (ed.) op. cit, p. 644.<br />
S. B. Bushrui, op. tit, pp. 287-288.<br />
Macmillan Editors, W. 8. Yea& Co&cted P~z~A, (London: Macmillan.<br />
1978) p. 511.<br />
'Ibid, p. 518.<br />
S. B. Bushrui, op. cit, p. 300.<br />
W. 8. Yea& C&cted Poem, p. 517.<br />
ibid, p. 155.<br />
'Ibid, p. 199.<br />
rbid.<br />
Translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.<br />
S. B. Bushrui. op. cit, p. 309.<br />
Richard Ellmann, op. cit, pp. 258-259.<br />
W. 8. Yea& Co&cted Poem, op. a p. 211.<br />
Norman Jeffares. W. 8. Yea& Man and Poet, (London: Routledge &<br />
Kegan Paul, 1978), p. 196.<br />
W. 8. Yea&' Co&cted WO~ZA, op. Cif, p. 197.
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