Leaders & Politicians · Early 20th Century
W.B. Yeats’s Last Words
“If I die, give what's left of me away to children and old men that wait to die.”— W.B. Yeats, January 28, 1939
Who Was W.B. Yeats?
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923.
The Final Moments
These words were from a poem Yeats wrote near the end of his life. He died at a hotel in southern France.
Are These Words Verified?
These lines are from Yeats's poem 'Under Ben Bulben,' written months before his death, not his actual last words. No reliable account exists of what he said on his deathbed at the Hotel Ideal Sejour in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
Sources
- firsthand Under Ben Bulben (poem, 1938)
- biography Brown, Terence. The Life of W.B. Yeats
Legacy
The Second Coming and Easter 1916 are among the greatest poems in the English language. Yeats won the Nobel Prize in 1923.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were W.B. Yeats’s last words?
“If I die, give what's left of me away to children and old men that wait to die.”
How did W.B. Yeats die?
W.B. Yeats died on January 28, 1939 at the age of 73. Cause of death: Kidney failure and cardiorespiratory disease.
Were W.B. Yeats’s last words documented?
These lines are from Yeats's poem 'Under Ben Bulben,' written months before his death, not his actual last words. No reliable account exists of what he said on his deathbed at the Hotel Ideal Sejour in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
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