[.ca] The Collected Works of W.B. Yeats Vol. XII: John Sherman ... (ISBN 0026327031)

I wish that Maude had Gonne sooner:
He lost his virginity at the age of 51, and his poetry undoubtedly got a great deal better afterwards. Political claptrap marred his works and spoilt some vaguely pleasant ideas. I am afraid that any man who spends his entire life concerning himself with politics and Celtic twilight missed a great deal of the reality of life. However, I am inclined to attribute a great deal of this to Ms Gonne, who without a shadow of a doubt was the main factor responsible for his horrendous 'Helen of Troy' images. To any student studying this text, I would urge them to remember Dr Derek Pezrekier's pithy comment at a lecture given at Berkley University, California: "Mr Yeats - what did you spend the money on?" to which a student replied "What money?" "The money your mother gave you for brain surgery.".