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W. B. Yeats's "The Cap and Bells": Its Sources in Occultism

While it may seem that "The Cap and Bells" finds its primary source in Yeats's love for Maud Gonne, the poem is also symbolic of his search for truth in occultism. In the 1880s and 90s Yeats coupled his reading of Shelley with a formal study of magic in the Golden Dawn, and the poem is a blend of Shelleyan and occult influences. The essay explores the Shelleyan/occult motif of death and rebirth through examining the poem's relation to the rituals, teachings, and symbols of the Golden Dawn. The essay examines the poem's relation to the Cabalistic Tree of Life, the Hanged Man of the Tarot, two Golden Dawn diagrams on the Garden of Eden, and the concept of Kundalini.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc278020
Date05 1900
CreatorsSaylor, Lawrence (Lawrence Emory)
ContributorsLinebarger, J. M. (James Morris), 1934-, Pettit, Alexander, Holdeman, David
PublisherUniversity of North Texas
Source SetsUniversity of North Texas
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis or Dissertation
Formatv, 64 leaves: ill., Text
RightsPublic, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved., Saylor, Lawrence (Lawrence Emory)

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