Analyzing The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Poem analysis
Conclusion
Work Cited

Introduction

William Butler Yeatss, The Second Coming is a powerful poem that provokes thought and provides profound insight into human nature. It reflects the turbulent world in which it was written, as well as the fundamental shifts that have taken place in society. At the beginning of the poem, a falcon is unaware of its falconer as it continues to spin and spin in an ever-expanding gyre (1-2). As the world spins and shifts, more pieces shatter, and the center gives way, symbolizing the chaos that ensues when order is destroyed. These images paint a picture of a disordered world in which the previous reign has been overthrown, but the new one has not taken its place as they help establish the tone of the poem.

Poem analysis

The first stanza ends with more evidence of a chaotic world: The ceremony of innocence is drowned; the best lack all conviction; the worst are full of passionate intensity (6-8). It emphasizes the differences between the old order, characterized by peace, stability, and order, and the new reign, characterized by violence, confusion, and anarchy. The shape with lion body and the head of a man (14) that haunts the speakers vision is the poems central image. This image represents the Second Coming, which is widely understood to be a watershed event that will usher in a new historical era. The lion-eyes man is blank and pitiless as the sun (15). It implies that this metamorphosis will not be peaceful but violent and brutal.

The line twenty centuries of stony sleep (19), gives the reader the impression that the rocking cradle is the sound of something that has been waiting for a very long time. (20). The final lines of the poem ask, And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, / Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born? (21-22). serve as a timely reminder that change is inevitable, even though it can be unsettling and chaotic at times. As a result of this, Yeats poem is even more potent and thought-provoking than it was because it reflects the turbulent times during which it was written. The poems ideas, symbols, and images speak to the transformative event known as the Second Coming, drawing comparisons between the previous order and the new one. This poem has enduring value because it effectively captures the essence of the profound shifts currently taking place in our culture and the world as a whole.

Several factors, I believe, impacted Yeasts poem The Second Coming. Yeast was a member of a secret organization, which led his writings to be predominated by occult themes, as in this poem. The Celtic resurgence in Ireland influenced Yeast, making him passionate about Irish history. The poem is viewed as a reflection of Yeats anxieties about the cyclical nature of history and the collapse of Western civilization.

Given its mysterious and poetic language and emphasis on themes of metamorphosis, destruction, and rebirth, I find the poem interesting. The first two lines describe the sense of disarray and unpredictability. It stands out for its apocalyptic imagery, such as the shape with lion body and the head of a man (8). The poem fills me with dread and makes me think about the worlds end.

Conclusion

The poem The Second Coming by Yeast contains both lyric and imagist elements. Yeats uses concrete imagery to paint a detailed picture of the world he is describing. It is an excellent example of Lyric poetry, distinguished by its rhythm and emotionality. Yeats achieves the hypnotic and eerie quality of lyric poetry through the musicality of the lines and his use of repetition and refrain.

I classify the poem as modernist as it addresses many central concerns of the modernist movement. It evokes the widespread anxiety and doubt that followed the end of World War I and the turn of the twentieth century. The poems apocalyptic imagery and decay themes capture the cultural and political upheaval that characterized the modernist period. It continues to speak to the feelings of uncertainty and change that characterize our modern contemporary world.

Work Cited

Yeats, William. The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats | Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, 1989, Web.

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Analyzing The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats

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