In what ways does Yeats show aspects of modernist writing in his poem "A Prayer For My Daughter"?

“A Prayer For My Daughter” by Yeats is a prime example of
the tenets of the Modernist period in literature. It contains many of the elements that
define Modernism. The modernist movement was developed in
reaction against Romanticism and Realism, as such, it
counters many of the principles that guided the writing of poetry in those
periods.

For instance, while Romanticism discounted form,
structure, and literary devices because of the belief in the poet's inspiration from
Imagination, Modernists paid a great deal of attention to form, structure
and literary devices. For this reason, as href="http://vc.ws.edu/engl2265/unit4/Modernism/all.htm">David  L. White of
WSCC says, modernist poetry places heavy emphasis on the literary devices, especially
imagery and symbolism. An example of symbolism from Yeats' poem is the wished for
comparison of the sleeping daughter to a linnet. A linnet is a plain, brownish finch
songbird: its inner song is more important than its outer adornment of feathers. An
example of imagery is the description of the storm in the early
lines:

… There
is no obstacle
But Gregory's wood and one bare hill
Whereby the
haystack- and roof-levelling wind.
Bred on the Atlantic, can be
stayed;

This leads to another
point. Modernist poets are concerned with illustrating the inner
realms of the psyche's visions and reality along with the impact on
psychological impressions of events and external realities,
whereas Realists were intent on describing as accurately as possible the external
realities of the world: the shift is from external to internal.

Yeats certainly demonstrates this Modernist principle in
this poem. He begins with "for an hour I have walked and prayed," progresses to
lamenting the beauty that may "Lose natural kindness," then claims that for his
daughter, "In courtesy I'd have her chiefly learned" because "hearts are earned." Yeats
concludes by focusing on the birth of "innocence and beauty."

This ties back to the earlier point that for Modernists
structure was a guiding principle. This explains the
structure of the poem being built around a conceit that contrasts his hopes for his
daughter against Classical allusions emphasizing Helen of Troy, Aphrodite, Hephaestus,
and the Horn of Plenty of Greek mythology:

readability="11">

Helen [of Troy] being chosen found life flat and
dull
And later had much trouble from a fool,
While that great Queen
[Aphrodite], that rose out of the spray,
Being fatherless could have her
way
Yet chose a bandy-legged smith [Hephaestus] for man.
It's
certain that fine women eat
A crazy salad with their meat
Whereby
the Horn of plenty is
undone.

Do read title="An Introduction to Modernism and Postmodernism. Dr. David L.White. Walters State
Community College, TN." href="http://vc.ws.edu/engl2265/unit4/Modernism/all.htm">Dr.
White’s description of the full details important to
Modernism to uncover even more ways Yeats’ poem exemplifies
the Modernist poetic period.