The Land of Heart's Desire - W.B. Yeats

Summary

'The Land of Heart's Desire' is a one-act play by W.B. Yeats that explores the conflict between mundane reality and the enchanting allure of the supernatural. The story is set in a small cottage in rural Ireland on the eve of May Day, where the young bride Mary Bruin, discontent with her ordinary life, yearns for a world of wonder and magic, often reading fairy tales. Despite the pragmatic concerns of her husband Shawn and the traditional piety of her father-in-law Father Hart and mother-in-law Bridget, Mary openly expresses her longing for the fairy world. Her wish is unexpectedly answered when a mysterious Faery Child appears at their door. The child sings captivating songs and offers Mary an escape to the Land of Heart's Desire, a place free from sorrow and human constraints. Despite the family's attempts to protect Mary with prayers and holy water, her desire for the magical realm proves stronger than her earthly ties. Ultimately, Mary is entranced by the Faery Child's promises and chooses to leave her mortal life behind, transforming into a being of the fairy world and departing with the child, leaving her family in grief and awe.

Book Sections

Section 1

The play opens in the cottage of Shawn and Mary Bruin on the eve of May Day. The family, consisting of the young couple, Shawn and Mary, Shawn's father Father Hart, and his mother Bridget, are seated around the fire. Mary, a young bride, expresses her weariness with the mundane details of daily life, such as doing chores and saying prayers. She finds solace in reading fairy tales and openly voices her desire for the fantastical world they describe. Shawn tries to appease her by offering a piece of burnt wood, a traditional charm, and Bridget insists she should focus on her domestic duties and piety. Father Hart, a priest, warns her against such thoughts, emphasizing the importance of Christian faith over pagan beliefs. However, Mary's longing for something beyond her ordinary existence is palpable and persistent.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Mary Bruin	Young, dreamy, restless, imaginative, discontent with her mundane life.	Yearns for escape from the ordinary, spiritual fulfillment, wonder, and the magic described in fairy tales.
Shawn Bruin	Practical, loving, somewhat bewildered by his wife's desires, traditional.	Wants to keep his wife happy, maintain domestic harmony, uphold tradition, protect Mary.
Father Hart	Pious, traditional, authoritative, concerned with spiritual welfare, a priest.	To guide his family in Christian faith, protect them from pagan influences, uphold moral order.
Bridget Bruin	Practical, maternal, traditional, somewhat superstitious but grounded.	To ensure Mary fulfills her domestic duties, maintain the household, uphold traditional values.

Section 2

As the family discusses Mary's unusual desires, a knocking is heard at the door. Shawn opens it to find a small, beautifully dressed Faery Child. The child claims to be cold and hungry and asks for shelter. The family is initially welcoming, though Father Hart is immediately suspicious due to the child's unusual appearance and the timing – May Eve, a night when the fairy world is said to be particularly active. Mary, however, is instantly enchanted by the child's presence and beauty, seeing in her an embodiment of the fairy world she so deeply desires. The Faery Child immediately begins to sing a song that speaks of the Land of Heart's Desire, further captivating Mary and unsettling the rest of the family.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Faery Child	Ethereal, beautiful, mysterious, captivating, seductive, otherworldly, enchanting.	To lure Mary Bruin to the Land of Heart's Desire, to bring new souls to the fairy world.

Section 3

The Faery Child continues to sing and speak of the wonders of the fairy world, a place without human suffering, aging, or the constraints of time. She offers Mary a life of eternal youth, dance, and joy, free from the burdens of domestic life and religious duties. She tempts Mary with visions of moonlight, dancing, and the absence of all that Mary finds dull in her current existence. The child's words resonate deeply with Mary's unspoken longings. Shawn tries to intervene, reminding Mary of her vows and their love. Father Hart attempts to repel the child with holy water and prayer, recognizing her as an agent of the pagan world trying to steal a soul. Bridget also joins in the prayers, but their efforts seem to strengthen Mary's resolve, rather than weaken it.

Section 4

The conflict between the human world and the fairy world intensifies. Father Hart and Bridget recite prayers more fervently, holding rosaries and using holy water, trying to create a spiritual barrier around Mary. Shawn pleads with Mary, expressing his love and the pain her departure would cause. Mary, however, becomes increasingly drawn to the Faery Child's promises. She sees the Faery Child not as a threat, but as a liberator offering her deepest desires. Despite her family's desperate efforts to anchor her to the human world, Mary's spirit begins to separate from her mortal body. She feels herself being pulled away, her resistance weakening with each enchanting word from the Faery Child.

Section 5

In a climactic moment, Mary ultimately succumbs to the Faery Child's allure. As the family prays and pleads, Mary rises, transformed. Her eyes glaze over, her movements become otherworldly, and she appears to shed her human form. She embraces the Faery Child, now fully belonging to the fairy realm. The Faery Child then leads Mary out of the cottage, dancing away into the night. Shawn, Father Hart, and Bridget are left in utter despair and sorrow, witnessing Mary's departure and transformation. They realize their efforts were in vain against the irresistible pull of the Land of Heart's Desire for a soul as yearning as Mary's. The play concludes with the family mourning Mary's loss, understanding that she has found her heart's desire, though it cost her her mortal life.

Literary Genre

Poetic Drama, Fantasy, Folklore, Celtic Revival

Author Details

William Butler Yeats (1865–1939) was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. A driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival, he helped found the Abbey Theatre and served as a Senator of the Irish Free State for two terms. Yeats was a Symbolist, drawing on Irish myth and folklore, occultism, and mysticism. His early work was often romantic, reflecting his lifelong unrequited love for Maud Gonne, an Irish revolutionary. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923 "for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation."

Moral

The central moral or theme of 'The Land of Heart's Desire' explores the dangerous allure of escapism and the conflict between the spiritual or imaginative world and the mundane realities of human existence. It suggests that deep, unfulfilled longing for an ideal world can lead one to abandon earthly ties and responsibilities, potentially at the cost of one's mortal life and the pain of loved ones. It also highlights the tension between pagan folklore and traditional Christian piety in rural Ireland.

Curiosities

• Celtic Revival Influence: The play is a quintessential example of Yeats's early work deeply rooted in the Celtic Revival, drawing heavily on Irish folklore, particularly the belief in fairies (the Sidhe) and their power to lure mortals away.
• Symbolism: Like much of Yeats's work, the play is rich in symbolism. The Faery Child represents the irresistible pull of the ideal, beauty, and escapism, while the cottage and the family embody the constraints of human life, duty, and religion.
• Short Play: 'The Land of Heart's Desire' is a one-act play, typical of many of the early works written for the Irish Literary Theatre (which later became the Abbey Theatre), designed to be concise and impactful.
• First Performance: The play premiered in 1899 at the Royal Avenue Theatre in London, a significant event in Yeats's early career.
• Personal Longing: Some critics suggest that Mary's longing for an ideal world reflects Yeats's own lifelong search for spiritual meaning and his attraction to the mystical and the supernatural, often contrasting with his involvement in the practicalities of Irish nationalism and theatre.