Although George William Russell (who wrote under the pseudonym AE) was a prolific writer in prose and verse, he is more often remembered as a cause of creativity in others than as a distinguished author. For about four decades his influence fertilized the Irish Literary Renaissance, and his promotion of the cooperative ideal contributed much to a noble attempt by Sir Horace Plunkett and his supporters to make Ireland at once more efficient and more humane. As a mystic, he described--more successfully in prose than in verse--his exploration of supersensible realms. Finally, the near perfection of his character has left its impress on many published memoirs.

Russell was born in Lurgan, County Armagh, the youngest of three children of Thomas and Marianne Russell, members of the (Episcopalian) Church of Ireland. In 1878, the family moved to the more stimulating environment of Dublin. During his youth, George's overwhelming ambition was...