Main Text
Explore 2 main texts related to The Municipal Gallery Revisited. Each section contains the full literary work.
The Municipal Gallery Revisited Key Facts
Key Facts
Poet: William Butler Yeats (1865–1939) Original Title: The Municipal Gallery Revisited Written Time: 1937 (Yeats’s late period, near the end of his life) First Published: 1939, in Last Poems and Plays Form: Reflective Lyric Poem (with autobiographical and elegiac elements) Genre: Autobiographical, Historical, and Philosophical Poetry Tone: Nostalgic, Proud, Mournful, and Reverent Rhyme...
Expand The Municipal Gallery Revisited Key Facts
The Municipal Gallery Revisited Summary
Summary
Part I – Images of Ireland and National History: At the beginning of the poem, Yeats stands inside Dublin’s Municipal Gallery surrounded by portraits that represent thirty years of Ireland’s history. He observes figures such as Casement on trial, Griffith with proud determination, Kevin O’Higgins with a calm yet restless gaze, and a revolutionary soldier kneeling for a blessing. These por...
Expand The Municipal Gallery Revisited Summary
The Municipal Gallery Revisited Theme
Themes
National Memory and Cultural Legacy: The central theme of this poem is the revival of Ireland’s national memory and cultural heritage. When Yeats enters the Municipal Gallery, he sees around him the images of thirty years of Irish history — Casement, Griffith, Kevin O’Higgins, Lady Gregory, Synge, and other heroes and artists. Through these portraits, he realizes that Ireland’s history is n...
Expand The Municipal Gallery Revisited Theme