William Butler Yeats and the Influence of Hindu Religion and Its Philosophy

Abstract

William Butler Yeats was arguably one of the most celebrated literary figures of the 20th century. Religion was an important part of his life as well as that of his literary pursuits. It is widely known that Yeats’s life, philosophies, and views were enormously influenced by Hindu religion, and this continued till the end of his life. Contrary to the opinions expressed by many scholars who have claimed that Yeats’s attraction towards Hindu philosophy is occasional, there is credible evidence to prove that Yeats’s longing and fascination for Hindu philosophy are persistent and ubiquitous. This paper sets out to chronicle Yeats’s journey towards Hinduism and his unflinching loyalty towards Hindu philosophy and its religious texts. The main focus of this paper is to foreground how Hinduism influenced Yeats’s purview of life and his literary creations. To achieve that purpose, this paper has quoted extensively from different texts in which Yeats shows his admiration for Hindu religious texts and Hindu philosophy and also from other scholars who have studied his inclination towards Hindu philosophy. This paper also explores the influence of Hindu philosophy in his literary creations by analyzing some of his works.