"The Second Coming" by By William Butler Yeats
The Second Coming
By William Butler Yeats
"The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats is a symbolic reflection on the chaos and disillusionment following World War I. The poem begins with the image of a falcon spiraling away from the falconer, symbolizing a world losing control and disconnecting from its guiding principles. Yeats describes a collapse of order, where "things fall apart" and "the centre cannot hold," leading to widespread anarchy and moral decay. The innocent are overwhelmed, and those with the worst intentions dominate with fervor, while the virtuous remain passive.
As the poem progresses, Yeats anticipates a transformative event, hinting at the "Second Coming." However, this vision diverges from the traditional Christian concept, instead conjuring a foreboding image from "Spiritus Mundi," or the collective unconscious. He describes a monstrous figure with a lion's body and a human head, its gaze cold and unfeeling, rising in the desert. This creature symbolizes a new, menacing era emerging from the chaos.
In the final lines, Yeats reflects on the long sleep of civilization since Christ’s birth, now disturbed by the advent of this "rough beast." This creature, slowly moving toward Bethlehem, represents a dark and destructive force poised to bring about an age of upheaval. The poem encapsulates Yeats’ anxiety about the future, suggesting that a new and ominous chapter in human history is about to begin, characterized by brutality and a loss of moral direction.
Yeats’ poem reflects a deep anxiety about the future, suggesting that the world is on the brink of a dramatic and potentially catastrophic transformation. The imagery of the "rough beast" embodies the poet’s fear that the new era will be dominated by brutality and moral decay, a stark contrast to the Christian ideal of redemption and peace.
Themes,
Chaos and Disintegration: The poem vividly portrays a world unraveling, where traditional structures and moral order are breaking down. The imagery of things "falling apart" and "the centre cannot hold" captures the sense of disarray and the collapse of societal stability.
Apocalypse and Transformation: The "Second Coming" is depicted not as a hopeful event but as an apocalyptic transformation. The imagery of the rough beast heralds a dark and ominous future, emphasizing the inevitability of profound and unsettling change.
Moral Decay and Anarchy: The poem explores the theme of moral corruption, where innocence is "drowned" and the worst elements of society gain dominance. This moral decline is linked to the anarchy and violence loosed upon the world.
Loss of Control and Authority: The falcon and falconer metaphor signifies a loss of control, where those in positions of power or guidance can no longer maintain order. This breakdown reflects a broader theme of disconnection and the failure of leadership.
The Uncertainty of the Future: The poem conveys a sense of foreboding and uncertainty about what lies ahead. The final image of the rough beast slouching towards Bethlehem encapsulates this anxiety, suggesting a future dominated by unknown and potentially malevolent forces.
Spiritual and Cultural Decline: Yeats touches on the decline of spiritual and cultural values, as the "ceremony of innocence" is drowned and the collective spirit, or "Spiritus Mundi," conjures visions of dread rather than hope or renewal.
Important Phrases & lines from the poem,
The stanza paints a bleak picture of the current state of the world:
"Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world": A world descending into disorder.- "The blood-dimmed tide is loosed": Violence and bloodshed are rampant.
- "The ceremony of innocence is drowned": Innocence and purity are overwhelmed by corruption and moral decay.
- "The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity": A societal inversion where the virtuous are passive, and the malevolent are fervent and influential.
- "Spiritus Mundi": This term, meaning "World Spirit," symbolizes the collective unconscious and cultural memory. Yeats draws upon this to evoke a troubling vision.
- The vision of the sphinx-like creature: A monstrous figure with the body of a lion and the head of a man emerges in the desert. This creature, with a "gaze blank and pitiless as the sun," suggests a new, ominous force or era taking shape, indifferent to human suffering.
- "The darkness drops again": A return to uncertainty and foreboding.
- "Twenty centuries of stony sleep": The long period since the birth of Christ, filled with relative stability, is coming to an end.
- "Vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle": The birth of this new force is a troubling event, disturbing the established order.
- "What rough beast, its hour come round at last, / Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?": The "rough beast" symbolizes a new, destructive age or force. Its slow movement towards Bethlehem (the birthplace of Christ) suggests an ironic or dark counterpart to the Nativity, heralding a time of upheaval rather than salvation.
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