(He's a very famous poet, if you didn't know.)
Why, you ask? Let me guess: I like poetry, so I must like Yeats.
Wrong.
For one thing, his poetry isn't that phenomenal. And non-phenomenal poetry is a forgivable fault in most people, but not in poets, and especially not in poets well-known for their phenomenal poetry. If he has such a title, he should have earned it.
There's a more personal level, though. It's not just that his poetry doesn't suit my fancy.
He was pretty much a jerk.
I don't feel like putting up the whole story, but go on wikipedia and look up Margot Ruddock (don't worry, it's a dishearteningly short article- only a few paragraphs). I do identify myself with her. Maybe that's not a wonderful thing to brag about, but it's true. And I also- even before all the drama, before I knew about MR, anything- I've always compared Mr. Marine to Yeats. So yes, there is a melodramatic, personal, passive-aggressive element to this.
And you know? Maybe Margot was crazy. I don't really care. He still chigged her.
So this guy is the epoch of poets. This guy is what we're related to. This guy is our standard.
I don't essentially approve.