Beyond Exoticism: The Indian Influence in W.B. Yeats's Poetry and Philosophy

This paper explores W.B. Yeats’s profound engagement with Indian philosophy and spirituality, arguing that his affinity surpasses the exotic curiosity of other Western poets. Unlike Emerson, Whitman, or even T.S. Eliot—whose references to Indian thought remained largely intellectual or ornamental—Yeats internalised Indian perspectives, weaving them into the very fabric of his poetry and worldview. Through sustained personal and literary contacts, including Mohini Chatterjee, Purohit Swami, and Rabindranath Tagore, Yeats encountered the symbolic, pantheistic, and holistic elements of Indian tradition. This influence is evident in his approach to symbolism, reincarnation, mystical unity, and the integration of sensuality and spirituality. Yeats’s poetic articulation transformed Indian concepts from mere intertextual references into lived experience, reshaping his understanding of self, divinity, and reality. The paper highlights how Yeats’s Irish heritage and search for wholeness resonated with Indian ideals, culminating in a unique cultural synthesis that transcends binary East-West oppositions. By situating Yeats within this deeper current of cross-cultural exchange, the study demonstrates that his poetry and philosophy embody not just an admiration for India, but an authentic participation in its tradition—offering new insights into the transnational dimensions of his oeuvre.