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Yeats, On the Boiler, the Aesthetics of Cultural Disintegration and the Program for Renewal "of our own rich experience"
- Journal of Modern Literature
- Indiana University Press
- Volume 35, Number 4, Summer 2012
- pp. 73-90
- 10.2979/jmodelite.35.4.73
- Article
- Additional Information
In On the Boiler, W.B. Yeats depicts the collapse of his paradigm for Ireland's renewal through culture and discerns the seeds for a new cultural movement rooted in education and eugenics. Through education and eugenics, Yeats foresees the rebirth of a new paradigm of cultural nationalism engendered in the "rich experience" of the Irish people and achieving an end very much akin to his earlier paradigm, with a significant addition: Yeats thought to extend his program for cultural renewal beyond the grave. He hoped to foster, through education and eugenics, a like-minded community of believers who would be able to enter into communion with the spirits of men of genius, including himself.