Well, "In Memory of W.B. Yeats" is about as traditional as an
elegiac title can be (and this is an elegy, a poem written in
memory of a deceased person). It brings to mind another uber-
famous (and uber-long) elegy called In Memoriam, A.H.H., written
by Tennyson about his friend who passed away. If you've read
what we have to say in our "Summary" section, you'll immediately
see the irony in this move: Auden's title may be traditional,
but his poem is anything but. He's shaking things up
stylistically, which is perhaps why he chooses to ground us
right away by directing our attention to the object of the poem,
William Butler Yeats. Yeats was a poet, playwright, and
important political figure in the late 19th and early 20th
century. If you're interested, you can find out more about him
by checking out our guides on his poetry. Here are a few: