📝The Second Coming – W.B. Yeats
đź“Ś Poet Bio:
W.B. Yeats (1865–1939) was an Irish poet and Nobel Laureate, deeply influenced by mysticism, nationalism, and the turbulence of the modern world. His later poems often reflect his apocalyptic visions and fear of moral decline.
đź“Ś Summary:
Yeats paints a chaotic and terrifying image of a world spiraling out of control. As traditional values collapse, a monstrous figure—“a rough beast”—emerges from the desert, signaling a new, ominous era. The title alludes to the Christian Second Coming, but Yeats uses it ironically to predict a catastrophic rebirth, not salvation.
The poem captures the anxiety of a world undergoing rapid, disorienting change after World War I. The speaker’s prophetic tone and mythical allusions create a timeless warning about political and spiritual upheaval.
đź“Ś Themes: Chaos, apocalypse, modern disintegration, prophecy, violence
đź“Ś Style: Biblical allusion, symbolism, heavy imagery, formal diction