The paper focuses on the four conditions of earth, water, air, and fire identified by the pre-Socratic philosopher Empedocles, and alchemy. Yeats used concepts he learned from alchemy on the level of words and images and in distinctive tonal qualities. He also took from it concepts that energised his work, especially issues of opposition and desire, and the work towards transfiguration.

• Margaret Mills Harper(Glucksman Professor of Contemporary Writing in English, University of Limerick, Ireland.) | 마가렛 밀스 하퍼