The Song of the Happy Shepherd
Encyclopedia
The Song of the Happy Shepherd is a poem by William Butler Yeats
.
It was first published under this title in his first book, The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems
, but in fact the same poem had appeared twice before: as an epilogue to Yeats' poem The Isle of Statues, and again as an epilogue to his verse play Mosada
. On the first of these occasions, the poem was said to be spoken by a satyr
carrying a conch shell.
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
.
It was first published under this title in his first book, The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems
The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems
The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems was the first collection of poems by William Butler Yeats. It was published in 1889.In addition to the title poem, the last epic-scale poem that Yeats ever wrote, the book includes a number of short poems that Yeats would later collect under the title...
, but in fact the same poem had appeared twice before: as an epilogue to Yeats' poem The Isle of Statues, and again as an epilogue to his verse play Mosada
Mosada
Mosada is a short verse play in three scenes written by William Butler Yeats and published in 1886.The only characters are Mosada, a "moorish girl," her friend the hunchback child Cola, a Christian monk and a few nameless inquisitors. The play is set in a fictional kingdom.In the first scene,...
. On the first of these occasions, the poem was said to be spoken by a satyr
Satyr
In Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
carrying a conch shell.