Symbolism In The Second Coming

William Butler Yeats, an Irish poet, wrote "The Second Coming" in 1919 at the close of World War I. Since, it is poem written after the end of World War 1, its bit of a violent poem which gives rise to destruction and leaves the place or people with no hope for redemption. Its symbolism largely centers on destruction and rebirth which is especially shown with the help of the forms of a Gyre and the Sphinx or the rough beast which either has its long association or its preordained energies. The gyre as a form with a circular path, through its long association of history of World War 1 seem to give an idea of destruction and death after World War 1 where things fell apart in a “widening gyre” (Yeats, 1920) and went uncontrollable with “mere anarchy”

Yeats wrote this poem after the end of World War 1, where not only Europe was broken into million pieces physically but also went down morally with chaos and disharmony left behind (Holman, 2014). Holman believed that not only was the disharmony left behind but it left the minds of people live with fear. Similarly, in his poem “The second Coming “ Yeats opens with an image of falcon moving away from its falconer by being uncontrollable, and swinging outward in a “widening gyre” (Yeats, 1920). Therefore, he shows that the people went out of hand and it was difficult to keep them in tacked to create harmony and peace where the center of the earth is being unable to hold as "things fall apart". This is another symbolic image which brings forth the idea that the political and moral structure that guided people has been broken and all that is left is the presence of "mere anarchy"(Yeats, 1920), with no laws left to govern the people and keep them in tacked in harmony and peace as people were gone all chaotic after World War 1. Therefore, "widening gyre," deals with the symbols of destruction and death where "Things fall apart," says Yeats, and "Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world."He uses the symbol of a tide, "blood-dimmed," drowning innocence, that destroys hope and from which humanity needs

However, there is a contradicting idea, as the “rough beast” which is so unnatural has its preordained energies which evokes fear and terrifies human beings while on their anticipation on salvation. According to Holman (2014), Yeats looks into the language of the Book of Revelation to call upon an image of Christ's return. He further says that Yeats included biblical symbolism when explaining that for 2,000 years (one gyre), the sleep of the Sphinx was "vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle," most likely of the Christ-child and take away the sins of people. While Yeats gives the idea of a Second Coming of Christ as salvation, he uses the symbol of the “Sphinx” to offer his prediction of the future of the world and of humanity. Therefore, Yeats alludes to Christ, a "vast image", which is heading towards Bethlehem. However, his allusion seems to be a contrast of an image of Christ. Christ that headed towards Bethlehem seemed monstrous like, unnatural creature with the “A shape of a lion body and the head of man” (Yeats, 1920) which rather evoked fear then having a sense of salvation on the rebirth of Christ. The symbol here is of the end of a religion with the “rough beast” heading towards Bethlehem though Yeats anticipated hope and salvation at first. It also helps to bring forth the idea