What is the summary of the Second Coming?
What is the summary of the Second Coming?
“The Second Coming” is one of W.B. Yeats’s most famous poems. Written in 1919 soon after the end of World War I, it describes a deeply mysterious and powerful alternative to the Christian idea of the Second Coming—Jesus’s prophesied return to the Earth as a savior announcing the Kingdom of Heaven.
What is the theme of the Second Coming by William Butler Yeats?
The basic theme of the poem is the death of the old world, to be followed by the rebirth of a new one. It draws upon Biblical symbolism of the apocalypse and the second coming of Christ to make its point. However, Yeats poses the question of what will be born out of this overwhelming chaos.
What is the meaning of the Second Coming by William Butler Yeats?
“The Second Coming” was intended by Yeats to describe the current historical moment (the poem appeared in 1921) in terms of these gyres. Yeats believed that the world was on the threshold of an apocalyptic revelation, as history reached the end of the outer gyre (to speak roughly) and began moving along the inner gyre.
What does the second coming symbolize?
Yet for all its metaphorical complexity, “The Second Coming” actually has a relatively simple message: it basically predicts that time is up for humanity, and that civilization as we know it is about to be undone. Yeats wrote this poem right after World War I, a global catastrophe that killed millions of people.
What happens when the speaker mentions The Second Coming?
Immediately after the speaker mentions it, he sees a beast emerging from the desert. The beast is emerging from “Spiritus Mundi” which is Latin for “the spirit of the world.” So the beast is emerging from the way we people are today. So this new vision is a horrible one.
How does The Second Coming use mythology?
His seminal poetic work, The Second Coming, can be read in the light of the ancient Indian myth of Narasimha avatar, the hum-animal hybrid incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The idea of the second coming of Christ sounds very much like the concept of reincarnation, which lies at the heart of Hinduism.
How is The Second Coming a prophetic poem?
As the title of the poem suggests, Yeats poem is a prophetic poem that clearly shows Christ’s second return to the earth after the world has been engulfed in sin and sorrow. The writer uses imagery to create a sense of waiting and arouse the readers interest in what is the second coming. …
Why can the falcon not hear the falconer?
The lines “the falcon cannot hear the falconer” in “The Second Coming” represent how the ordinary people are no longer paying heed to the old social and political leaders, but are listening to the new movement leaders instead. Yeats believes this will be the downfall of society.
What was the meaning of the Second Coming?
The Second coming. The Second Coming reflects upon WWI and the horrors of war. It speaks to the chaos, the changes that accompanied the war, the disenchantment of the people, and the advent of modernity.
What is the story of Homer’s the Odyssey?
Homer ’s 8th century BCE oral narrative of a warrior’s decades-long quest to return home defines epic poetry. Together with its companion poem The Iliad, The Odyssey describes the action and aftermath of the Trojan Wars, andis the model for the heroic quest. Read a character analysis of Odysseus, plot summary, and important quotes.
Who is the expert on the Second Coming poem?
A LitCharts expert can help. A LitCharts expert can help. A LitCharts expert can help. “The Second Coming” is one of W.B. Yeats’s most famous poems.
What is the meaning of the Second Coming of Yeats?
Yet for all its metaphorical complexity, “The Second Coming” actually has a relatively simple message: it basically predicts that time is up for humanity, and that civilization as we know it is about to be undone. Yeats wrote this poem right after World War I, a global catastrophe that killed millions of people.