Emotion of Multitude by W.B. Yeats
The work examines the nature of dramatic art, arguing that successful theater must harness not only a well-ordered, logical narrative but also evoke a broader, collective emotional resonance. It criticizes the conventional form of dramatic construction—particularly that inherited from French models—for its emphasis on clarity and logic that, in the process, suppresses the imaginative depth and poetic force drawn from a vast range of human experience. The text contrasts this with Greek drama, where the chorus embodies the “emotion of multitude” by invoking a rich tapestry of historical and mythological allusions that recall common sorrows and shared human triumphs, lending the narrative an expansive emotional dimension. It further explores how different dramatic traditions attempt to supply this missing element. In Shakespearean drama, for instance, the inclusion of subplots serves as a shadowy reflection of the main narrative, effectively multiplying the emotional impact and situating individual tragedies within a more universal context. Through these secondary threads, the plays transcend a simple, isolated tale; they become reflective of an entire era or the multifaceted nature of human life. Similarly, modern dramatists such as Ibsen and Maeterlinck are noted for introducing symbolic elements—vague and often enigmatic images that prompt the audience’s imagination and evoke a continuum of feelings, thereby bridging the gap between the tangible fable and the elusive realm of poetic inspiration. Underlying the argument is the contention that the best art is rooted in a duality: it must employ the specificity of a clear, orderly narrative while simultaneously reaching into a vast, often ineffable world beyond the immediate text. This outside realm, characterized by a rich interplay of ideas and emotions, imbues the work with a deeper, more resonant quality. The interplay is likened to the natural relationship between the sun and the moon, wherein the direct, unambiguous light of day represents the lucid, concrete narrative, and the mysterious, many-imaged light of the moon symbolizes the imaginative, collective experience that enriches the work. The piece ultimately posits that true artistic genius lies in balancing these complementary forces, allowing the specific story to evoke the universal while revealing the profound interconnection between individual life and the broader, shared human condition.
By W.B. Yeats · Genre: Literary Criticism, Theatre Studies, Dramatic Theory · 675 words
First lines
I have been thinking a good deal about plays lately, and I have been wondering why I dislike the clear and logical construction which seems necessary if one is to succeed on the Modern Stage. It came into my head the other day that this construction, which all the world has learnt from France, has everything of high literature except the emotion of multitude. The Greek drama has got the emotion of multitude from its chorus, which called up famous sorrows, long-leaguered Troy, much-enduring Odysseus, and all the gods and heroes to witness, as it were, some well-ordered fable, some action separated but for this from all but itself. The French play delights in the well-ordered fable, but by leaving out the chorus it has created an art where poetry and imagination, always the children of far-off multitudinous things, must of necessity grow less important than the mere will. This is why, I said to myself, French dramatic poetry is so often a little rhetorical, for rhetoric is the will trying to do the work of the imagination. The Shakespearean Drama gets the emotion of multitude out of the sub-plot which copies the main plot, much as a shadow upon the wall copies one's body in the firelight. We think of King Lear less as the history of one man and his sorrows than as the history of a whole evil time.
What this Textopian page supports
Emotion of Multitude is listed on Textopian as a short story by W.B. Yeats, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: W.B. Yeats
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Criticism, Theatre Studies, Dramatic Theory, Philosophy of Art, Cultural Criticism
- Length: 675 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Emotion of Multitude by W.B. Yeats
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Emotion of Multitude?
- How does this short story by W.B. Yeats fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Literary Criticism first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Tree Of Life by W. B. Yeats
- A Poet Of Shadows by George William Russell
- The Midnight Blossom by George William Russell
- The Virgin Mother by George William Russell
- Why The Blind Man In Ancient Times Was Made A Poet by W. B. Yeats
- In Procession by Robert Graves
Genres
- Literary Criticism — Explores dramatic construction and the interplay of narrative and emotion across different theatrical traditions.
- Theatre Studies — Analyzes stage techniques and the evolution of dramatic forms, contrasting Greek chorus with modern dramatic structure.
- Dramatic Theory — Examines the mechanics of subplots, shadowing, and the relationship between fable and emotion in drama.
- Philosophy of Art — Considers the abstract principles behind art, imagination, and the symbolic representation of multitude.
Tags
poetry · modernism · symbolism · mysticism · mythology · philosophy · lyrical · imagination · spirituality · transformation · historical · cultural