When I am Yeats' age at the time he wrote The Tower, I hope to better understand all the hidden layers of meaning he puts forth in these poems. Released in 1928, The Tower marks him at his most mature, serving as a contrast to all the romantic poems he'd written in the 1800s. If there is an underlying theme to these poems, it's that Yeats has reluctantly succumbed to the madness of a world run by greed and war, and yearns to rediscover the vitality he'd had in his youth. Metaphorically, The Tower stands for his arduous climb through life, living through his infatuation with Maud Gonne, World War I, and the Irish Civil War. All the things he can see from the top of his tower only serve as painful reminders of his lost innocence. The parallel with Romanticism devolving into Modernism in the early 20th century perfectly coincides with this journey, making Yeats one of those rare poets whose own perspective shifts with the changing times. A rarity like this, combined with some masterful writing skills, is a true blessing for the world of poetry. It's no wonder that, along with T.S. Eliot, he's considered the greatest poet of his generation. Personally, I consider him one of the best poets of any generation.
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