things fall apart; the centre cannot hold ; The Second Coming ANALYSIS

" THE SECOND COMING "

Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand. The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi Troubles my sight: somewhere in the sands of the desert A shape with a lion's body and the head of a man, A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun, Is moving its slow thighs, while all around it Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds. The darkness drops again; but now I know That twenty centuries of stony sleep Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle, And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

CRITICAL ANALYSIS   

W.B. Yeats, in his apocalyptic poem "The Second Coming," delves into the tumultuous aftermath of World War I and the societal upheavals that marked the early 20th century. Written in 1919 amidst the chaos of post-war Europe and the Irish War of Independence, the poem is a prophetic meditation on the disintegration of order and the foreboding sense of a new era looming. The title itself, alluding to the biblical concept of the Second Coming of Christ, sets the stage for a reflection on upheaval and transformation.

The opening lines, "Turning and turning in the widening gyre / The falcon cannot hear the falconer," establish a sense of disorientation and fragmentation. The gyre, a recurring symbol in Yeats' poetry representing cycles of history, widens, signifying a departure from stability and control. The falcon's inability to hear its falconer evokes an image of disconnect, a world spiraling into chaos where traditional sources of guidance are no longer heeded or understood.

The second stanza intensifies the sense of impending crisis with the lines, "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; / Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world." Yeats vividly portrays a world in disarray, with the center unable to maintain cohesion. The word "anarchy" resonates with both political turmoil and existential chaos, mirroring the upheavals in Ireland and the broader global landscape. The breakdown of order is not merely political but extends to the very fabric of reality.

The poem then takes a visionary turn with Yeats' evocative description of a "rough beast" slouching towards Bethlehem to be born. This creature, arising from the abyss, is a symbol of impending doom, embodying the destructive forces on the horizon. The choice of Bethlehem, traditionally associated with the birth of Christ, adds a layer of irony, suggesting that what approaches is not a redemptive figure but a harbinger of darkness. Yeats' exploration of the Sphinx and its "gaze blank and pitiless as the sun" adds an eerie dimension to the poem. The Sphinx, a mythical creature known for its riddles, becomes a metaphor for enigmatic and indifferent forces shaping the impending era. The sun's pitiless gaze reinforces the idea that the forthcoming epoch will be marked by a relentless and unforgiving nature. The poem's closing lines, "And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, / Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?" resonate with a haunting ambiguity. The repeated reference to Bethlehem juxtaposed with the enigmatic "rough beast" leaves readers contemplating the nature of this impending birth. Is it a rebirth, a renewal, or a descent into further chaos? Yeats, as a seer grappling with the uncertainty of his time, leaves the interpretation open-ended, inviting readers to confront the impending unknown.

"The Second Coming" stands as a prophetic and enigmatic exploration of a world in flux. Yeats, witnessing the societal convulsions of his era, captures the anxieties and uncertainties of a civilization on the brink of transformation. The poem's enduring power lies in its ability to resonate across epochs, inviting successive generations to grapple with the perennial question of what emerges from the ashes when the falcon can no longer hear its falconer.