Introduction to The Second coming
Wollman shows that Yeats has a vision, a moment of insight into the future. It arises from a mood of doubt and despair, inspired by the anarchy of the world, the increase of bloodshed, and the growth of disbelief. He sees the present era as dying; the first two
thousand years of Christianity have brought discord and strife because man has forgotten Christ. The new era that is about to be born is symbolized by the rough beast, which is the antithesis of the gentle Bethlehem. It is not sought for or created: it comes uninvited, unwanted almost, upon the consciousness. This helps to give the poem the force of objectivity. It is Yeats' s theory that a period of anarchy and violence follows a period of innocence and beauty.The Second Coming
The Second Coming by W.B . Yeats
Yeats, as a great poet in modern age, elucidates that twentieth century is full of troubles, misfortunes, wars, conflicts and slaughters. The world turns and turns in its circle. The poet views that the gyres can be two types: the primary gyre and antithetical gyre. According to Yeats, when the primary gyre reaches its limit or maximum, it begins to diminish and its thread is taken by antithetical gyre and unwound. The falcon is the society or civilization that cannot hear the falconer which refers to Christianity and Christ. The society became so far from the Christian principles. People lost their religion. The world became destructed and deteriorated. Disorder and devastation are the rulers of the world. That is why Yeats views that the anarchy is loosed upon the world. Anarchy and blood are loosed upon the earth and the innocence is killed and vanished. In modern era, the best people lack strong faith while the worst people will be full of desires and passion.
All these destructive things will be stopped, when? when the second coming will appear upon the earth to liberate this earth from deception and
persecution. But the poet envisions that this age needs someone or something so strong and unflinching pitiless and merciless. That is why, he mentions a huge image of Spiritus Mundi. It is a shape with lion body and the head of a man, you can find that image in sands of the desert which troubles the sight. The movement of that massive image is so slow in the desert. Its thighs are slow and its look is blank and pitiless like the sun. the shape is like a sphinx, and symbolizing both evil and wisdom. The indignant desert birds (ventures) dance and reel terrifyingly with their shadows in the desert. The darkness (ignorance and frustration) drops again in this world. But the poet knows that the twenty centuries of stony sleep, of Christian civilization during which this shape with lion body and the head of a man maintained a rigid sleep. Bethlehem is the birth place of Christ. Suddenly the rough beast ( is a symbol of destruction) slouches towards Bethlehem to be born. Yeats uses the great beast as a symbol of havoc and devastation. Modern age will be full of violence, brutality and tragedy. The first world war was described by Yeats in his poetry as a terrible death that came to the world. He wants to show that modern age is an age of suffering and pain. That is why, he used the great beast in his poem " Second Coming" as a symbol of destruction. Yeats presents the poem as a philosophical and political one, full of the actions that destroy and destruct the modern times and to kill and slaughter thousands of the innocent people. The hope that the poet wishes to wait. It is reflected in the shape of a tremendous monster. Even the birds will dance and hover in circling movement.
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