Meditations in Time of Civil War

poem by Yeats

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July 16, 2026

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"Meditations in Time of Civil War" is a poem by William Butler Yeats, written in 1922 and published in 1928. The poem reflects on the turmoil and violence of the Irish Civil War, a period of intense conflict and division in Ireland.12

Yeats uses the setting of his tower in County Galway to explore themes of personal and national conflict. The poem contrasts the beauty of the natural landscape with the brutality of war, and it delves into the poet's own anxieties and disillusionment during this turbulent time. It is considered part of his mature middle period, where he grappled with the political and social upheavals in Ireland.12

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Ireland
In “Meditations in Time of Civil War” William Butler Yeats, perhaps Ireland’s best-known poet, evokes the idyllic and idealized countryside, a place central to the memories of the country’s millions of expatriates and their descendants:
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In “Meditations in Time of Civil War” William Butler Yeats, perhaps Ireland’s best-known poet, evokes the idyllic and idealized countryside, a place central to the memories of the country’s millions of expatriates and their descendants:
Read More