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Analysis of 'The Second Coming' by William Butler Yeats

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William Butler Yeats's poem 'The Second Coming' reflects on the chaos of post-World War I Europe, exploring themes of disintegration, prophetic visions, and historical cycles. The poem uses symbols like the falcon, gyre, and a sphinx-like creature to convey a world losing control and the dawn of a new, violent era. Yeats's modernist approach and use of Christian allegory highlight the cyclical nature of history and the emergence of destructive forces.

Overview of 'The Second Coming' by William Butler Yeats

'The Second Coming' is a powerful poem by William Butler Yeats, composed in the turbulent period following World War I and first appearing in print in 1920. This poem is a prime example of Yeats's modernist approach to poetry, characterized by its symbolic and allegorical narrative. Through the use of Christian imagery and allegory, Yeats delves into the disarray of post-war Europe, addressing themes of disintegration, prophetic revelation, and the cyclical nature of history. The poem is divided into two stanzas, each maintaining a loose iambic pentameter that borders on free verse, and it employs various literary devices, including alliteration, allusion, and metaphor. The imagery of a falcon losing control in a widening gyre and the enigmatic desert-born sphinx are central to the poem's thematic exploration of the breakdown of order and the inevitability of historical cycles.
Spiraling gyre with color gradient from navy to pale blue, contrasting with a pastel dawn or dusk sky, golden desert dunes, and a calm reflective water body.

Historical Context of 'The Second Coming'

Understanding the historical context of 'The Second Coming' is essential for grasping its depth and meaning. Composed in 1919, the poem captures the desolation left by World War I, which was naively dubbed "The War to End All Wars," and foreshadows the unrest that would culminate in World War II. Yeats's personal experiences, including his wife's precarious pregnancy and her battle with the Spanish Flu, colored his perception of the era as one of crisis and transformation. His fascination with the occult and his belief in the cyclical progression of history, particularly the concept of ages lasting approximately 2,000 years, are manifest in the poem's apocalyptic imagery and its suggestion that a tumultuous new epoch was dawning.

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00

Yeats's poem is noted for its ______ approach, featuring symbolic and allegorical elements, and was written during a time of ______ in Europe.

modernist

disarray

01

The poem, which reflects on the chaos of post-war Europe, is known for its imagery of a falcon spiraling outwards and a mysterious ______-born sphinx.

desert

02

Year and context of 'The Second Coming' composition

Composed in 1919, post-World War I, amidst global disillusionment and societal changes.

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