Kyle Downey
Mrs. Mavrikos
English 12
10 March 2014
The Poetry of William Butler Yeats
“Sailing to Byzantium”, published in 1928, “An Irish Airman Foresees His Death”, published in 1919, and “The Second Coming”, published in 1920, are all some of the most highly regarded works of William Butler Yeats. Although each poem seemingly contains its own personal ideas and focus on particular topics, one common theme is found throughout all three: death. In “Sailing to Byzantium” Yeats discusses the matter of growing old and attempting to find a way to live eternally after death has taken its toll, while in “An Irish Airman Foresees His Death” he creates an internal dialogue of an Irish airman as he feels he is about to take his final flight into death, and lastly in “The Second Coming” he creates an allegory for post-war Ireland by alluding to the Apocalypse. Each of these poems is popular not only due to the incredible manner in which they were written, but rather, due to the voice in which Yeats discusses each of the poem’s respective subjects. Through his modernist style, yet traditional form, William Butler Yeats wrote “Sailing to Byzantium”, “An Irish Airman Foresees His Death”, and “The Second Coming” as an attempt to answering the difficult questions that surround death in a way which resonated so strongly onto the audience that continues its legacy to this day.
William Butler Yeats was born in Dublin, Ireland on June 13, 1865, the son of well-renowned painter John Butler Yeats. A Protestant born into the Anglo-Irish minority class, Yeats found himself battling his identity of an “Englishman born in Ireland” for his love of his Irish heritage and strong nationalist mentality – although holding disdain towards the Nationalist mov...
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...years later, audiences still marvel at the works and divulge themselves in their ideas and beliefs, because although the context in which they have been written has since changed, its universal spirit has not, and that is why it will continue to remain relevant to this day and for future generations to come. This work has affected British literature by bridging the gap between the Modernist movement and traditional poetry techniques in a manner that would go on to inspire many other poets and authors throughout the nineteenth century, Modernist or not. Ultimately, the three poems “Sailing to Byzantine,” “An Irish Airman Foresees His Death,” and “The Second Coming” all hold the same themes and beliefs that many still connect with and feel even today, and with a true Irish spirit, William Butler Yeats made these works timeless examples of brilliant British literature.
Time is endlessly flowing by and its unwanted yet pending arrival of death is noted in the two poems “When I Have Fears,” by John Keats and “Mezzo Cammin,” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Keats speaks with no energy; only an elegiac tone of euphoric sounds wondering if his life ends early with his never attained fame. He mentions never finding a “fair creature” (9) of his own, only experiencing unrequited love and feeling a deep loss of youth’s passion. Though melancholy, “Mezzo Cammin,” takes a more conversational tone as Longfellow faces what is commonly known as a midlife crisis. The two poems progressions contrast as Keats blames his sorrow for his lack of expression while Longfellow looks at life’s failures as passions never pursued. In spite of this contrast, both finish with similar references to death. The comparable rhyme and rhythm of both poems shows how both men safely followed a practiced path, never straying for any spontaneous chances. The ending tones evoking death ultimately reveal their indications towards it quickly advancing before accomplish...
William Yeats is deliberated to be among the best bards in the 20th era. He was an Anglo-Irish protestant, the group that had control over the every life aspect of Ireland for almost the whole of the seventeenth era. Associates of this group deliberated themselves to be the English menfolk but sired in Ireland. However, Yeats was a loyal affirmer of his Irish ethnicity, and in all his deeds, he had to respect it. Even after living in America for almost fourteen years, he still had a home back in Ireland, and most of his poems maintained an Irish culture, legends and heroes. Therefore, Yeats gained a significant praise for writing some of the most exemplary poetry in modern history
In regard to the Nationalists, he incorporates traditional Irish characters, such as Fergus and the Druids, to create an Irish mythology and thereby foster a national Irish identity. After the division of the Cultural Nationalists, Yeats feels left behind by the movement and disillusioned with their violent, "foolish" methods. He is also repeatedly rejected by Gonne. These efforts to instigate change through poetry both fail, bringing the function of the poet and his poetry into question. If these unfruitful poems tempt him from his ?craft of verse,?
The ardent romanticist John Keats explores such profound commentary on the natures of both eternity and mortality throughout his sonnet, “On Seeing the Elgin Marbles”, wherein these sentiments are engendered by the sight of the infamous Greek
Within both Thomas Hardy’s “The Convergence of the Twain” and W. B. Yeats’ “The Second Coming”, the actions of God are extremely prevalent, though the timing of His intervention varies greatly. Though, both poems were published within a five year period (1914 and 1919 respectively), they convey significantly different perspectives on the actions of God, in relation to our actions as human beings. These poems were written less than a decade apart, but are separated by one significant event that changed the world: the First World War. Though, God plays a prevalent role within both works. His intervention occurs at different times. Yeats demonstrates a God that reacts to man’s actions, whereas Hardy’s God is omniscient, developing a correction to man’s perception of accomplishment before the Titanic is ever constructed. Hardy’s writing came just after the sinking of the Titanic, and he demonstrates that man had outstepped his bounds. In sinking the ‘unsinkable’ ship, according to the speaker, God is correcting the misadventure of man. Yeats’ poem was written shortly after World War I, and the speaker foresees an apocalypse due to the sin of man as a whole. Both authors portray the perceived actions of God, though the speaker within “The Convergence of the Twain” appears to be more accepting and less fearful. Throughout “The Second Coming”, the speaker demonstrates their fear of God’s inevitable reaction to World War I. Both poems share the imagery of water, though its significance varies between poems. The speaker’s acceptance of God’s will within Hardy’s poem represents a devout religiosity that is unwavering throughout this writing, and Yeats’ depiction focuses on fear of the coming future.
One of the most important rhymes in the poem “Bright Star” is “breath” with “death”. An analysis of this rhyme allows for further exploration into Keats’ reasons for incorporating the rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet. Keats’ approach draws the attention of the reader to the couplet to emphasize his desire to “live [for]ever” in eternity with his love. Although not a unique, this rhyme still successfully incorporates a tragic aspect of the poem and highlights the author’s deep desire to be immortal only if he is able to live in eternity with someone he loves.
In William Butler Yeats' poem, "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death," he focuses on man's inner nature. He touches on the many jumbled thoughts that must race through one's mind at the point when they realize that their death is inevitable. In this poem, these thoughts include the airman's believed destination after leaving Earth, his feelings about his enemies and his supporters, his memories of home, his personal reasons for being in the war and, finally, his view of how he has spent his life. Through telling the airman's possible final thoughts, Yeats shows that there is a great deal more to war than the political disputes between two opposing forces and that it causes men to question everything they have ever known and believed.
In his poem "The Second Coming," William Butler Yeats expresses that the endured disastrous behaviors of humankind will result in the beginning of a new age that is gloomy, fearful, and controlled by chaos. The poem provides as a warning of what may lie ahead if we do not change the direction society continues to take.
In “Ode to the West Wind”, death is a recurrent theme, but death is also mentioned in “To Autumn”. In Keats’s poem, however, it is clear that the creative power of autumn dominates the references to death. In “Ode to the West Wind”, the autumn is not only the brutal power it seemed to be at first: according to Shelley, autumn also has the ability to preserve life, by letting it die symbolically first. All in all, both poems show that autumn has a number of different facets, and it cannot be described by one or the other, but all.
William Butler Yeats was born in Dublin, Ireland on June 13, 1865. He was a member of the Protestant, Anglo-Irish minority that was undergoing a crisis of identity during his childhood.
The poem September 1913 focuses on the time where the Irish Independence was at its highest. Yeats repeats the phrase “romantic Ireland” a lot in this poem as it refers to the sacrifice of the materialistic things for independence and freedom. To further emphasize the importance and greatness of the revolution, Yeats pointed out the names of heroic individuals who gave their lives to fight for the cause. Yeats did not give any detail about the Irish heroes but he does state that “they have gone about the world like wind” (11). The heroes were so famous; their names could be heard and talked about all over the world. In this poem, Yeats does not go directly in to detail about the historical events that happened but fo...
It is uncertain what mysteries the Second Coming will entail. Through the use of symbolism and allusion, Yeats has described how one world meets its horrid demise. However, the birth of the new world's fate will also bring dark repression and havoc. In Yeats' eyes, history well repeats itself, which is evident of the looping spires of the gyre. In addition, the "ceremony of innocence is drowned," indicates that faith, like the act of communion, no longer exists. Although life is full of hopes and dreams for a better world, Yeats makes us speculate if that could ever be possible. It is evident that Yeats' pessimistic view on the Second Coming shows that he is fearful of change as well as the uncertainties of the future. However, one must go on believing and living one's dreams, or one too, will see life as Yeats so boldly foretells.
This refrain enforces his disgust at the type of money hungry people that the Irish have become. In the third and fourth stanza, however, Yeats completely changes the tone of his poetry. He praises the romantics of Irish history, such as Rob...
WB Yeats was born in 1865 in Dublin. His parents were John Butler Yeats, a portrait painter, and Susan Pollexfen. His family was upper class, Protestant and of Anglo-Irish descent. His ancestors were church rectors. His mother's famil, the Pollexfens, were known for their eccentricities manifested by an interest in astrology and magic. He was very interested in super sensual experiences and visions which came to him "from the back of his mind". Eventually, he became interested in Hinduism and the occult. During his life, he developed interests in theosophy, ancient civilizations, psychic power, spiritualism, magic, eastern religions and the supernatural which in due course led to the conception of "The Second Coming"(first published in November 1920).
death of a fellow poet, Auden may be lamenting the ultimate futility of Yeats’ life and art