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Poet: William Butler Yeats
Poem: The Second Coming
Volume: Michael Robartes and the Dancer
Year: Published/Written in 1921
Comment 28 of 28, added on November 20th, 2009 at 8:23 AM.
W.B.Yeats Second coming
I do not know much about English poetry. I have never been to any English speaking country. I’m not even fluent in this language as it’s not my first foreign language. Nevertheless I like reading English poems because I humbly confess, that I just do not know any better poetry at all.
Well, truth comes even before patriotism in my heart.
This is a poem about fear and despair and chaos. Certainly atrocities of World War I had great influence on poet’s mind and most certainly this ominous allegories taken from the Bible concerned the vision of world existing after this terrible event.
So much you can read in Wikipedia.
But as I’m concerned, the most striking verses in this poem are not about a beast slouching towards Bethlehem. Not even about this new revelation and inevitable second coming. The most important and the most terrifying at the same time are the verses: 7-th and 8-th.
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity”.
This is what I also fear. Many decades after Yeats’ “Second coming” was written. After many wars and a war even more horrible then the one of which Yeats was an observer, after some years of instable peace and breakable (as we may behold) prosperity, I see the same symptoms in our contemporary world. I see the same weakness in myself.
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity”.
The wheel of history is said to be turning and turning around (as most wheels generally do). We accept this fact. Something happened in the past. Something will happen in the future. Things are just always the same. It’s just the way things do.
Tempus fugit. But people do not change.
This is, I believe, the reason for Yeats’ Apocalypse to happen. Our lack of conviction, that we can change ourselves, not only our toys. The way we give free hand not to the best of us, but to the worst. The way we accept. And do nothing.
“Second coming” was written nearly 90 years ago. It could have been written yesterday.
Adam C. from Poland
Comment 27 of 28, added on July 10th, 2009 at 12:26 AM.
...wonderful poem...
its very interesting!!
how i wonder how could i interpret it...
secret from United States
Comment 26 of 28, added on April 10th, 2006 at 7:00 AM.
This poem is very intricate, personal and deeply satisfying. It, to me, makes sense and for that this poem is very powerful. I feel Yeats is trying to express what he feels about the world in some philospohical form that trains his imagination. It is a beautiful piece of literature and a joy to one and all.
olivia from Australia
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I do not know much about English poetry. I have never been to any English speaking country. I’m not even fluent in this language as it’s not my first foreign language. Nevertheless I like reading English poems because I humbly confess, that I just do not know any better poetry at all.
Well, truth comes even before patriotism in my heart.
This is a poem about fear and despair and chaos. Certainly atrocities of World War I had great influence on poet’s mind and most certainly this ominous allegories taken from the Bible concerned the vision of world existing after this terrible event.
So much you can read in Wikipedia.
But as I’m concerned, the most striking verses in this poem are not about a beast slouching towards Bethlehem. Not even about this new revelation and inevitable second coming. The most important and the most terrifying at the same time are the verses: 7-th and 8-th.
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity”.
This is what I also fear. Many decades after Yeats’ “Second coming” was written. After many wars and a war even more horrible then the one of which Yeats was an observer, after some years of instable peace and breakable (as we may behold) prosperity, I see the same symptoms in our contemporary world. I see the same weakness in myself.
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity”.
The wheel of history is said to be turning and turning around (as most wheels generally do). We accept this fact. Something happened in the past. Something will happen in the future. Things are just always the same. It’s just the way things do.
Tempus fugit. But people do not change.
This is, I believe, the reason for Yeats’ Apocalypse to happen. Our lack of conviction, that we can change ourselves, not only our toys. The way we give free hand not to the best of us, but to the worst. The way we accept. And do nothing.
“Second coming” was written nearly 90 years ago. It could have been written yesterday.
Adam C. from Poland