| The Land of Heart's Desire | |
| Setting: | County Sligo, Late 18th century |
| Premiere: | 29 March 1894 |
| Place: | Avenue Theatre, London |
| Orig Lang: | English |
| Genre: | Myth |
The Land of Heart's Desire is a play by Irish poet, dramatist, and 1923 Nobel laureate William Butler Yeats. First performed in the spring of 1894, at the Avenue Theatre in London, where it ran for a little over six weeks,[1] it was the first professional performance of one of Yeats' plays.[2]
In this theatrical lament on age and thwarted aspirations, a faery child encounters the newlyweds Shawn and Maire Bruin at their home, shared with Maurteen Bruin and Bridget Bruin, Shawn's parents. The child, who at first is thought of by the Bruins as of gentle birth, denounces God and shocks Father Hart. She expounds on the ephemeral nature of life, in a bid to entice the newly-wed Maire to leave with her to the world of faery:
The play's title is included on the coat of arms of County Sligo, Ireland; where the play is set. The county featured in many of his earlier works and, in accordance with his wishes, Yeats was re-buried in 1948 at Drumcliff, a village overlooked by Ben Bulben.
The title of the album Like a Flame by Frederik Magle is derived from a quote from The Land of Heart's Desire.[3]