WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS
Second Coming
Introduction to W.B. Yeats
William Butler Yeats (1865–1939) was an Irish poet, playwright, and
essayist, widely regarded as one of the greatest literary figures of the
20th century. He was a key figure in both the Irish Literary Revival and
modernist poetry, and he became the first Irishman to receive the
Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Yeats grew up between England and Ireland,
and his works are deeply rooted in Irish culture, mythology, politics,
and spirituality. He co-founded the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, which
became a major cultural institution promoting Irish drama and national
identity.
W.B. Yeats as a Writer
W.B. Yeats had a rich and evolving literary career that spanned more
than five decades. His poetry is often divided into three main phases,
each marked by unique characteristics, influences, and concerns.
1. Early Romantic and Symbolist Phase (1880s–1890s)
In his early career, Yeats’s poetry was lyrical, romantic, and mystical.
Influenced by Romantic poets like Shelley and Blake and by Irish
folklore and mythology, his language was symbolic and musical.
Key themes: Love, Irish mythology, escapism, beauty, dreams,
mysticism.
Major works:
The Stolen Child
The Lake Isle of Innisfree
The Wanderings of Oisin
“I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree…” – The Lake Isle
of Innisfree
2. Nationalist and Political Phase (1890s–1910s)
During this phase, Yeats became actively involved in Irish politics and
cultural nationalism. His poetry started to reflect Irish identity, colonial
struggle, and heroism, especially after events like the Easter Rising of
1916.
He also had a complex relationship with Maud Gonne, a political activist
and the unrequited love of his life, which deeply influenced his poetry.
Key themes: Nationalism, heroism, personal longing, sacrifice,
politics.
Major works:
September 1913
Easter 1916
To Ireland in the Coming Time
“A terrible beauty is born.” – Easter 1916
3. Philosophical and Modernist Phase (1920s–1930s)
In his later years, Yeats’s poetry became more philosophical,
bold, and modernist in style. He explored aging, time, the cycles
of history, and his own spiritual theories (inspired by his book A
Vision) The language became more concise and symbolic, and
he questioned the chaos of the modern world.
Key themes: Aging, death, historical cycles, violence,
spiritualism, modern identity.
Major works:
The Second Coming
Sailing to Byzantium
Leda and the Swan
Among School Children
“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.” – The Second
Coming
“That is no country for old men.” – Sailing to Byzantium
“Hammer your thoughts into unity.” – from his essays
“All changed, changed utterly: A terrible beauty is born.” –
Easter 1916
Literary Style and Influence
Yeats combined Romanticism with Modernism, producing poems that
were emotionally rich yet intellectually deep.
He used symbolism, mythology, historical allusions, and personal
philosophy.
His work often reflects opposing forces—youth vs. age, order vs. chaos,
passion vs. reason.
As a dramatist, he played a vital role in reviving Irish drama with works
like The Countess Cathleen and Cathleen ni Houlihan.
Legacy
W.B. Yeats is remembered not only as a brilliant poet but also as a
public intellectual, cultural reformer, and visionary thinker. His poetry
captures the spiritual, political, and philosophical crises of both Ireland
and modern humanity. His evolution from a romantic dreamer to a
realist philosopher reflects the changing literary and social landscape of
his time.
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.
"Turning and turning in the widening gyre"
The world is spinning further and further out in a widening spiral or
cycle, moving away from its original center.
Explanation:
Yeats uses the image of a "gyre" (a spiral or vortex) to describe history.
According to his personal philosophy (explained in his book A Vision),
history moves in 2,000-year cycles represented by spirals. A “widening
gyre” suggests that the current age is becoming unstable and is about
to break apart as it reaches the end of its cycle. The center can no
longer hold things together.
"The falcon cannot hear the falcone
The trained bird (falcon) has flown so far that it can no longer hear the
voice or commands of its master (the falconer).
Explanation:
This symbolizes disconnection and loss of control. The falconer
(authority, tradition, order) is no longer able to guide the falcon
(people, society). It reflects a breakdown of communication between
the leaders and the people, or between moral guidance and human
action.
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;"
Everything is collapsing; the central structure or authority that holds
society together is no longer strong enough to maintain order.
Explanation:
This is one of the most quoted lines in modern literature. Yeats
suggests that society is unraveling and traditional values, beliefs, or
systems (the “centre”) are breaking down. Chaos is replacing stability.
"Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,"
Complete and destructive chaos is spreading all over the world.
Explanation:
The word "mere" means "pure" or "absolute." Yeats is warning that
without a strong center or guiding force, anarchy—the absence of
order or rule—is taking over. This could refer to political revolutions,
world wars, or spiritual crisis
"The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere"
A tide stained with blood (symbolizing violence and death) is sweeping
across the world.
Explanation:
Yeats uses imagery of a bloody tide to convey that war, violence, and
destruction are spreading uncontrollably. It may reflect his response to
World War I and the Irish political uprisings (like the 1916 Easter
Rising).
"The ceremony of innocence is drowned;"
All things pure and innocent are being destroyed or overwhelmed by
this chaos.
Explanation:
The word “ceremony” refers to the rituals or traditions of a moral,
civilized society. With violence and confusion ruling, innocence cannot
survive—symbolizing a loss of moral clarity, childhood, faith, or peace.
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst"
"Are full of passionate intensity."
Good people are uncertain and passive, while bad people are filled with
dangerous confidence and strong emotions.
Explanation:
Yeats criticizes the state of moral and political leadership: those who
should lead (the wise, the virtuous) are silent or hesitant, while
extremists or violent people are acting boldly, passionately, and
dangerously. This imbalance contributes to the collapse of civilization.
Meaning of the Passage
Yeats paints a picture of a world spinning out of control—disconnected
from guidance, filled with violence, and suffering a moral collapse. He
was writing after World War I and the Irish Rebellion, a time of great
political upheaval and uncertainty. These lines reflect his fear that the
current age is ending in chaos, and something unknown and possibly
terrible is about to emerge (which he describes later in the poem as
“The Second Coming”).
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?
"Surely some revelation is at hand; / Surely the Second Coming is at
hand."
Something extraordinary must be about to happen. Perhaps it is the
Second Coming—a divine intervention or rebirth.
Explanation:
Yeats refers to the Christian concept of the Second Coming of Christ,
which symbolizes hope, renewal, and divine justice. But here, the tone
is uncertain and uneasy. He repeats "surely" as if trying to reassure
himself, yet something darker is looming instead
"The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out / When a vast image
out of Spiritus Mundi / Troubles my sight:"
Just as I say the words "Second Coming," I have a disturbing vision,
emerging from the collective spiritual consciousness of the world—
Spiritus Mundi.
Explanation:
Spiritus Mundi is a term Yeats uses to describe a universal soul or
shared human memory, where all myth, symbol, and collective fears
reside. From this source, he sees a terrifying vision—not a hopeful
messiah, but a monstrous symbol of a new age.
"Somewhere in sands of the desert / A shape with lion body and the
head of a man,"
In a desert, I see a creature with the body of a lion and the head of a
human.
Explanation:
This image recalls the Sphinx, a mythical and ancient symbol of
mystery, riddles, and danger. The desert setting suggests barrenness
and timelessness, reinforcing the idea of a primordial force awakening.
"A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,"
The creature's stare is cold, emotionless, and merciless—like the
burning sun.
Explanation:
Unlike the compassionate or redemptive gaze of Christ, this beast’s
gaze is inhuman and indifferent. Yeats emphasizes the absence of
empathy in the force that is about to take over the world.
"Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it / Reel shadows of the
indignant desert birds."
The creature moves slowly and powerfully through the desert, while
angry birds circle around it.
Explanation:
The slow movement suggests that this force is inevitable but terrifying
—something unstoppable, though not rushed. The “indignant desert
birds” symbolize nature’s fear or protest against this unnatural,
monstrous being. It’s a world out of balance.
"The darkness drops again; but now I know / That twenty centuries of
stony sleep / Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,"
Darkness returns, but I now understand: for the past 2,000 years,
civilization (since Christ's birth) has been sleeping like stone, but that
sleep has now turned into a nightmare, disturbed by the shaking cradle
of a new age.
Explanation:
Yeats suggests that the Christian era (symbolized by 2,000 years) is
coming to an end. The “rocking cradle” is a powerful symbol: instead of
comforting, it is disturbing or awakening something dark. The values
and peace established by the Christian era are collapsing.
"And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, / Slouches
towards Bethlehem to be born?"
And now—what kind of savage, terrifying creature, whose time has
finally come, is slowly moving toward Bethlehem (the birthplace of
Christ), ready to be born?
Explanation:
Yeats ends with a terrifying question. Instead of a divine savior,
something violent, primitive, and unknown is about to be born—a new
age or world order. The word “slouches” implies lazy, unnatural
movement, suggesting something grotesque and ominous. This
creature will replace the old order, but not with peace—instead, with
chaos or terror Yeats envisions the collapse of the modern world as we
know it—where order, religion, and morality no longer hold—and sees
in its place the birth of a new, monstrous age. The “Second Coming” is
not Christ returning to save humanity but something far more sinister
and destructive.
This poem, written after World War I and during the Irish struggle for
independence, reflects Yeats’s deep fear of social, political, and spiritual
breakdown. It captures a world in transition, leaving behind civilization
and moving into something unknown and possibly horrifying
Narrative style
1. Prophetic Voice
Yeats adopts the tone of a seer or prophet, foretelling the collapse of
the current world and the rise of something terrifying and unknown.
The speaker appears to have access to a higher, spiritual vision,
speaking with certainty and intensity.
Example:
“Surely some revelation is at hand; / Surely the Second Coming is at
hand.”
This repetition mimics biblical prophecy, giving the poem an apocalyptic
weight.
2. Symbolic and Allegorical Style
The narrative is not linear and doesn’t tell a story in the traditional
sense. Instead, it uses dense symbolism and imagery to convey larger
meanings about history, morality, and change.
Example:
“A shape with lion body and the head of a man... Slouches towards
Bethlehem to be born.”
This is not a literal creature but a symbolic representation of a new,
chaotic era replacing the old order.
3. Meditative and Philosophical Tone
The speaker does not interact with others or recount personal events.
Instead, the poem reads like an internal monologue or meditation, as
the speaker reflects on the state of the world and what lies ahead.
Example:
“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; / Mere anarchy is loosed
upon the world.”
The poem functions as philosophical commentary on a world in
collapse.
4. Visionary and Mystical Elements
Yeats believed in Spiritus Mundi, the "world soul" or collective
unconscious. The poem’s narrative emerges from a vision or dream-like
revelation, especially in the second stanza.
Example:
“A vast image out of Spiritus Mundi troubles my sight…”
The speaker transitions from describing real-world chaos to a mystical
vision of a monstrous birth.
5. Fragmented and Disjointed Narrative
The flow of the poem mimics the theme of disintegration—sentences
are broken, images are jarring, and the shift from earthly to symbolic is
abrupt. This mirrors the breakdown of meaning and order in the
poem’s content.
Themes
Chaos and the Collapse of Order
The poem’s opening lines express a world spinning out of control,
where traditional structures—moral, political, or spiritual—are falling
apart.
“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world”
This shows Yeats’s belief that the foundations of society (the “centre”)
can no longer sustain the pressures of modern violence and political
disorder. “Anarchy” here refers to both global conflict and a spiritual
void.
Historical Cycles and the Concept of the Gyre
Yeats believed history moved in 2,000-year cycles or “gyres.” Each cycle
ends in destruction and is followed by a new one. In this poem, he
suggests that the Christian era (since the birth of Christ) is ending, and a
dark, unknown age is beginning.
“Turning and turning in the widening gyre”
The “widening gyre” represents an expanding spiral in which events
spin further from the center, indicating that we’re nearing the end of
one era and about to begin another, more dangerous one.
Loss of Spiritual and Moral Certainty
Yeats shows a world where people are either too weak to act morally or
fanatically committed to destructive ideologies. There's a vacuum of
moral leadership.
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.”
Good people are uncertain, while extremists are loud and dangerous—
a commentary on post-war politics, revolution, and rising fascism.
The Fear of a Monstrous Rebirth
Rather than the peaceful Second Coming of Christ, Yeats envisions the
birth of a terrifying beast. The “rough beast” symbolizes the dawn of a
dark new era—not progress, but regression to something primitive and
violent.
“And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?”
This image is haunting. Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, now
becomes the location for something monstrous to be born, suggesting a
blasphemous reversal of spiritual hope
Violence and Bloodshed
The imagery of blood, war, and destruction permeates the poem. Yeats
was responding to World War I, the Russian Revolution, and Irish
political unrest.
“The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned”
This suggests that violent forces are overwhelming purity and order.
The “ceremony of innocence” might refer to traditional values, religious
rites, or human kindness—all being drowned in a wave of bloodshed.
6. Prophecy and Apocalypse
The poem is deeply apocalyptic. Yeats sees himself as a kind of prophet
warning of the end of the age. The vision of the beast rising from the
desert is like a biblical revelation, but dark and disturbing.
“Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.”
While the word “revelation” echoes the Book of Revelation in the Bible,
the actual “revelation” is not salvation but doom.
7. Spiritus Mundi and Collective Unconscious
Yeats draws the beast from Spiritus Mundi—a term he uses for the
world’s collective soul or unconscious memory. It suggests that the
horror of the future is not just imagined—it already exists in our
collective history and myths.
“When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight”
This implies that the monstrous future is a product of ancient forces
returning, embedded in the fabric of human culture.
Literary devices
1. Symbolism
Yeats uses symbols to represent complex ideas and abstract concepts.
“The falcon” and “the falconer” – symbolize the breakdown of order,
tradition, and spiritual control.
“The rough beast” – symbolizes a new, terrifying force rising to replace
the Christian era.
“Bethlehem” – a symbolic place of Christ’s birth, now ironically the
place for a monstrous rebirth.
2. Imagery
Vivid visual descriptions create an intense and haunting atmosphere.
“Blood-dimmed tide is loosed” – a powerful image of violence and
chaos.
“A shape with lion body and the head of a man” – evokes the Sphinx,
blending animalistic power with inhuman intelligence.
“The darkness drops again” – a metaphor for the return of ignorance or
evil.
3. Allusion
Yeats alludes to Christianity and mythology to contrast spiritual hope
with spiritual collapse.
“The Second Coming” – alludes to the return of Christ but is used
ironically to suggest a dark new beginning.
“Bethlehem” – biblical reference to Christ’s birthplace.
“Spiritus Mundi” – Latin for “World Spirit”; Yeats’s own concept of a
collective unconscious storing universal symbols.
4. Metaphor
Yeats employs extended metaphors to represent abstract ideas.
“Turning and turning in the widening gyre” – metaphor for historical
cycles spinning out of control.
“The centre cannot hold” – a metaphor for disintegration of moral,
political, or spiritual unity.
5. Irony
The title and religious language create expectations of salvation, but
instead, the poem delivers a bleak, ironic twist.
The expected Second Coming is not Christ but a monstrous beast.
Bethlehem, the holy city, becomes the place for something terrifying to
be born.
6. Enjambment
Lines flow into each other without pause, creating urgency and chaos.
“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; / Mere anarchy is loosed
upon the world”
This mirrors the uncontrollable collapse of order.
7. Repetition
Used for emphasis and prophetic tone.
“Surely some revelation is at hand; / Surely the Second Coming is at
hand.”
Repeating “surely” gives the lines a ritualistic, prayer-like intensity.
8. Personification
Yeats gives human qualities to abstract forces.
“The blood-dimmed tide is loosed” – tide is given agency to overwhelm
the world.
“What rough beast... slouches towards Bethlehem” – the beast behaves
like a conscious being.
9. Ambiguity
The poem deliberately avoids clear explanation, creating layers of
meaning and interpretation.
The identity of the “rough beast” is left undefined.
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate
intensity” – open to political or moral interpretations.
10. Juxtaposition
Yeats contrasts conflicting elements to highlight chaos.
“The best” vs. “the worst” – shows moral imbalance.
“Ceremony of innocence” drowned in “blood-dimmed tide” –
innocence versus violence.
Analysis
Historical and Philosophical Context
Yeats wrote this poem in 1919, right after the horrors of World War I,
during the Russian Revolution, and amidst political chaos in Ireland. He
believed history followed a cyclical pattern—called "gyres"—each
lasting 2,000 years. According to Yeats’s mystical theory, we were at
the end of the Christian era and a new age was being born, but it would
emerge from violence, not peace.
Structure and Form
The poem has 22 lines, written in free verse.
It is divided into two parts:
The first stanza describes the collapse of the current world (chaos,
violence, spiritual failure).
The second stanza introduces a prophetic vision of what comes next—a
terrifying “rough beast.”
Key Imagery and Symbolism
1. The Falcon and the Falconer
“Turning and turning in the widening gyre / The falcon cannot hear the
falconer”
Symbolizes the loss of control and communication between humans
and higher values (the falcon and the falconer).
It represents a world where humans no longer follow spiritual or moral
guidance.
2. “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold”
A powerful symbol of societal collapse, used widely in modern
literature.
The “centre” might mean tradition, religion, morality, or authority—all
disintegrating.
3. “The blood-dimmed tide” and “ceremony of innocence”
Reflects violence, especially of World War I, where innocence and
culture are drowned in blood.
The poem mourns the death of idealism and peaceful civilization.
4. Spiritus Mundi
“A vast image out of Spiritus Mundi troubles my sight”
Yeats’s mystical term for the collective unconscious of humanity.
The beast arises from deep mythic memory, not current politics alone.
5. The Rough Beast
“Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born”
A terrifying figure—lion body, human head, blank gaze—evokes the
Sphinx, an ancient riddle-monster. Bethlehem, symbolic of Christ’s
birth, is now the birthplace of a dark new force.
The world is not moving toward salvation, but toward a monstrous
rebirth.
Tone and Mood
The poem is ominous, prophetic, and apocalyptic.
It uses chaotic, violent, and symbolic language to show how the present
is unstable and the future is terrifying.
Yeats speaks not as a moral teacher but as a visionary, giving a terrible
warning.
