The present research work concerns the development of symbols in the poetry of WB Yeats. To understand and therefore fully appreciate Yeats's poetry requires some knowledge of the forces that work together to form the basis of his philosophy and symbolic system. Yeats's view of the artistic function of imagination and symbol and the development of his personal symbolic system are made clear in this chapter. WB Yeats was considered a great symbolic poet. Arthur Symons dedicated his book “The Symbolist Movement in Literature (1919)” to WB Yeats and called him “the chief representative of that movement in our country”. The Symbolist movement was born in France. Its high priest was Stephane Mallaseme. Yeats already has much in common with the Symbolists. Both were aiming for something elusive and intangible. Both were subjective, similar in method and natural way of thinking. In the words of Yeats, "a symbol is the possible expression of an invisible essence, a transparent lamp around a spiritual flame - - - -". In this essay we have discussed the various symbols used by WB Yeats in his poetry. Introduction: WB Yeats is one of the most important poets in English literature even today. He was considered one of the most important symbolists of the 20th century. He was totally influenced by the French movement of the 19th century. He was a dreamer and visionary, fascinated by the folklore, ballads and superstitions of the Irish peasants. Yeats' poems are very familiar with the Irish background, Irish mythologies, etc. Yeats sought to bring back the “simplicity” and “completeness” of previous eras and blend them with modern ideas of good and evil. Nearly all his poems deal with ancient Ireland... middle of paper... Master of Symbols. Yeats's use of symbols is complex and rich. Symbols, in fact, give “voices to mute things and bodies to incorporeal things” in Yeats's poetry. The rose, the swan, the tower, the spiral staircase and the spinning tops – they all take on a life of their own and speak to the reader, often about different things. Symbolism helped give substance to his visions. Symbolism allowed Yeats to express “the richness of man's deepest reality” which is something essentially mystical. Perhaps one effect of his knowledge of symbols is that the moon can be more than just a moon, and a flower more than a flower. Works Cited:1. Yeats, WB, Handout “Selected Poems”. Dr. S. Sen and JK Chopra.2. Yeats, WB “The Symbolism of Poetry” Handout: Dr. J. Whitsitt, September 2006, P 153-164.3. Yeats, WB, Explorations (New York: The McMillan Company, 1962).