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1916 Rising: W. B. Yeats handwritten and signed quotation relating to the rebellion

Currency:EUR Category:Collectibles / Historical Memorabilia Start Price:2,250.00 EUR Estimated At:2,500.00 - 3,500.00 EUR
1916 Rising: W. B. Yeats handwritten and signed quotation relating to the rebellion

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Auction Date:2011 Apr 16 @ 13:00 (UTC+1)
Location:The Freemasons Hall - 17 Molesworth Street, Dublin, Dublin, ., Ireland
1916 Rising: W. B. Yeats handwritten and signed quotation relating to the rebellion
Single page manuscript
18 by 11cm., 7 by 4.5in.

An important signed quotation dated 27 April 1916 on 18 Woburn Buildings headed paper, where Yeats lived from 1896 to 1917, stating "only the wasteful virtues earn the sun". Taken from his 1914 poem "Introductory Rhymes" and written three days into the rebellion this quotation shows an interesting insight into Yeats' early opinions on the 1916 Rising. In its original context the quote related to economic waste but in this case it shows a change of meaning, in the sense that only through waste can something far more important be gained, alluding to what historians would later describe as the blood sacrifice element of the rebellion. Yeats showed true foresight on different occasions as to what the legacy of the rebellion would be, however his opinions and feelings dramatically changed after the execution of the rebel leaders. His poem Easter 1916 written a few months after the events of Easter week bears testament to that and overshadows any of the opinions, such as the one written on this document, that Yeats may have had during the course of the rebellion itself.