Content Introduction main part. 1 William Butler Yeats and his biography Writing style

The Second Coming

The Second Coming is arguably the most well-known and also the most difficult and obscure of his poems. Written in 1919, after World War I, this poem predicts, rather morbidly, the impending apocalypse or Second Coming. The first stanza depicts utter anarchy as the world spins out of control with no stability. "The blood-dimmed tide" is likely referring to the state of society after war. He argues that all innocence is lost, and society is backwards. The speaker argues that a revelation is inevitable. He then shifts the scene to a vast empty desert, where an immense sphinx, circled by resentful birds is making his way slowly towards Bethlehem. The Second Coming does not appear to be Jesus, but this "rough beast" instead. We see in this poem Yeats' fascination with the occult and the mystical with this apocalyptic imagery, as well as the popular motif of ancient civilizations in Decadent poetry. The poem is rather disturbing in its imagery and also in the way that it appears to be a kind of warning to society.The structure of the poem is difficult to identify. It is almost iambic pentameter but it is done so loosely that it can be argued that it is done in free verse, considering the rhyme scheme is also done loosely. It can almost be argued that the way the poem does not adhere to any particular poetic form, even though Yeats frequently employs perfect form, that he intended the form of the poem itself to demonstrate this lack of control and anarchy of modern society. This poem is a perfect representation of Yeats' style towards the end of his career, and I apologize for saving this harrowing poem for the final analysis.

Conclusion
William Butler Yeats wrote his visionary poem, The Second Coming, in January 1919 when he was 44 years old. Already established as a poet, theatre director, politician and esoteric philosopher, this poem further enhanced his reputation as a leading cultural figure of the time.In a 1936 letter to a friend, Yeats said that the poem was 'written some 16 or 17 years ago and foretold what is happening', that is, Yeats poetically predicted the rise of a rough beast that manifested as chaos and upheaval in the form of Nazism and Fascism, bringing Europe to its knees.Yeats had lived through tough times - World War 1 had seen unprecedented slaughter; several Irish Nationalists had been executed in the struggle for freedom; the Russian revolution had caused upheaval - and The Second Coming seemed to tap into the zeitgeist. 'My horror at the cruelty of governments grows greater' he told a friend. His poem seems to suggest that world affairs and spirituality must undergo transformation from time to time. Humankind has to experience darkness before the light can stream in again through the cracks.Things might fall apart, systems collapse - spiritual refreshment can only be achieved through the second coming: a Christian concept involving the return of Jesus Christ on Earth.

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  Except that this second coming would be no holy birth of an infant Christ in a lowly manger, no Saviour.
  
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  Something far sinister is in prospect; an antithetical creature, sphinx-like in nature, a rough beast, slouching its way, about to be born en route to a symbolic Bethlehem.
  
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  This could manifest as war, huge social and political change, climate change and environmental disaster.
  

The Second Coming is a disturbing poem with memorable lines that have been used by modern writers, rock bands and others as titles for their work. It's a highly visual two stanza creation, ending in a long, deep question.