The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

The Second Coming Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand. The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert A shape with lion body and the head of a man, A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun, Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds. The darkness drops again; but now I know That twenty centuries of stony sleep Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle, And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born? Can you analyze this poem line by line and explain the literary devices and poetic devices in it

Translation (English)

The falcon keeps circling wider and wider It can't hear the person who trained it; Everything is falling apart; the center can't hold; Chaos is unleashed on the world, A tide of blood is unleashed, and everywhere Innocence is overwhelmed; The best people have no confidence, while the worst Are filled with intense passion. Surely some revelation is coming soon; Surely the Second Coming is near. The Second Coming! As soon as those words are spoken A huge image from the world's spirit Disturbs my vision: somewhere in the desert sands A creature with a lion's body and a man's head, A gaze as blank and merciless as the sun, Is moving its slow legs, while all around it The shadows of angry desert birds whirl. Darkness falls again; but now I realize That twenty centuries of deep sleep Were disturbed into a nightmare by a rocking cradle, And what rough creature, its time finally come, Is moving slowly towards Bethlehem to be born?

About the Poet

William Butler Yeats (Modernist)

William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet born on June 13, 1865. He was a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923. Yeats is known for his symbolic and apocalyptic poetry.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Modernist poem
When Written: 1919
Background: The poem was written in the aftermath of World War I, reflecting the chaos and disillusionment of the time. It uses apocalyptic imagery to convey the sense of a world on the brink of a new, uncertain era.

Sources: https://www.litcharts.com/poetry/william-butler-yeats/the-second-coming, https://poemanalysis.com/william-butler-yeats/the-second-coming/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Second_Coming_(poem)

Detailed Explanation

William Butler Yeats's poem 'The Second Coming' is a meditation on the chaos and disintegration of the world following World War I. The poem begins with the image of a falcon spiraling out of control, symbolizing the loss of order and direction. As the world descends into anarchy, the poem suggests that the structures of civilization are collapsing. The 'best' people lack conviction, while the 'worst' are driven by intense passion, indicating a moral inversion. The poem then shifts to a prophetic vision of a new era, heralded by the 'Second Coming.' However, this is not a hopeful vision; instead, Yeats describes a monstrous creature, part lion, part man, emerging from the desert. This creature, with its pitiless gaze, represents a new, terrifying force that will reshape the world. The poem concludes with the ominous image of this 'rough beast' moving towards Bethlehem, suggesting the birth of a new, unknown era. Yeats uses Christian imagery, such as the Second Coming and Bethlehem, to underscore the apocalyptic nature of the change. The poem's themes include chaos, prophecy, and the cyclical nature of history, while its literary devices include symbolism, imagery, and allusion.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
gyre	spiral, circle	a spiral or circular motion	jīr
falconer	bird trainer	someone who trains birds of prey	fôl-kə-nər
anarchy	chaos, disorder	chaos due to lack of control	an-ər-kē
loosed	released, let go	freed or released	lo͞ost
Spiritus Mundi	world spirit	the world's collective spirit	spir-i-təs mun-dī
vexed	disturbed, troubled	bothered or annoyed	vekst
slouches	moves lazily, drags	moves lazily or sluggishly	slouch-əz
Bethlehem	birthplace of Jesus	the town where Jesus was born	beth-lə-hem