Paul Verlaine and W.B. Yeats

Since January 2026, I have been doing some research into the French poet Paul Verlaine. The first part of this research involves delving into the connections between Paul Verlaine and the some of those involved in the arts and literary circles of the Celtic Revival in Ireland. This is just a brief introduction to the topic. I’ll be writing more as the months go on.

Paul Verlaine (1844–1896) was one of the leading French Symbolist poets. His poetry is celebrated for its musicality, subtle emotion, and evocative imagery, favouring suggestion over direct statement. Many of his poems were set to music. Major collections include Romances sans paroles (1874) and Sagesse (1881). W.B. Yeats him in both Paris and London and Verlaine's Symbolist style, with its emphasis on mood, rhythm, and symbolism, had a lasting effect on Yeats's early poetry.
For more on Paul Verlaine https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/paul-verlaine
For more on W.B. Yeats https://www.dib.ie/biography/yeats-william-butler-a9160
Permanent exhibition https://www.nli.ie/exhibitions-events/exhibition-yeats-life-and-works-william-butler-yeats-0