Poet and playwright William Butler Yeats (1865–1939) was born on this day in Sandymount near Dublin, Ireland, the son of portrait painter John Butler Yeats. Passionate and serious-minded, W.B. published his first poem in 1885.

"A pity beyond all telling is hid in the heart of love," he once said.

Molding "a world of fire and dew," his writing celebrated his homeland with passion to lead the Irish literary renaissance. He loved the land and the precious legends, traditions, and simplicity of his Celtic countrymen.

"The only business of the head in the world is to bow a ceaseless obeisance to the heart," said literature's great voice.

Called "a poet of the human heart," by writer Stuart Miller, Yeats created poetry that celebrated life and death, joy and sadness, love and hate, and the mysteries of humanity.

A founder and director of Dublin's Abbey Theatre and member (1922–28) of the Irish senate, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1923. He was considered one of the most important poets of the 20th century.

He said of death: "I balanced all, brought all to mind, the years to come seemed waste of breath, a waste of breath the years behind, in balance with this life, this death."

Our dreams are fragile. Tread lightly!