The Second coming line by line analysis

 "The Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats is a complex and symbolic poem that explores the turbulent historical and political landscape of the early 20th century. Here's an analysis line by line:

Line 1: "Turning and turning in the widening gyre"

• The gyre represents a spiral or vortex, suggesting a cycle of historical events.
• The widening gyre could symbolize a world spinning out of control, moving towards chaos.

Line 2: "The falcon cannot hear the falconer"

• This line introduces a disconnect between the falcon and its falconer.
• The falcon, representing societal forces, is no longer obedient or under control.

Line 3: "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold"

• The center symbolizes order, stability, or social cohesion.
• "Things fall apart" indicates a breakdown in societal structure, order, or values.

Line 4: "Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world"

• Anarchy, or the absence of government and order, is spreading.
• The use of "mere" suggests that what was once unthinkable is now a reality.

Line 5: "The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere"

• "Blood-dimmed tide" suggests violence and chaos.
• The tide represents an overwhelming and uncontrollable force.

Line 6: "The ceremony of innocence is drowned"

• The loss of innocence in the face of violence or societal collapse.
• "Ceremony" implies a ritual or a once-upheld social order that is now overwhelmed.

Lines 7-8: "The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity"

• A commentary on the state of society where those with good intentions lack conviction or certainty.
• The worst individuals are characterized by their passionate and often destructive intensity.

Lines 9-10: "Surely some revelation is at hand; / Surely the Second Coming is at hand"

• The speaker suggests that a revelation or significant event is imminent.
• The reference to the "Second Coming" introduces a religious and apocalyptic element.

Line 11: "The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out"

• The exclamation marks emphasize the gravity of the announcement.
• The speaker is almost startled by the idea of the Second Coming.

Lines 12-13: "When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi / Troubles my sight: somewhere in the sands of the desert"

• "Spiritus Mundi" refers to the collective unconscious or the spirit of the world.
• The image suggests a vision or a premonition emerging from the depths of human consciousness.

Lines 14-15: "A shape with a lion's body and the head of a man, / A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun"

• The image described is remindful of mythical creatures, possibly representing a powerful and destructive force.
• The "gaze blank and pitiless as the sun" suggests a lack of empathy or mercy.

Lines 16-17: "Is moving its slow thighs, while all around it / Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds"

• The movement of this symbolic creature is slow but unstoppable.
• The "shadows of the indignant desert birds" may represent the consequences or reactions to this force.

Lines 18-19: "The darkness drops again; but now I know / That twenty centuries of stony sleep"

• The return of darkness suggests a continuing cycle.
• "Twenty centuries of stony sleep" may refer to the span of time since the birth of Christ.

Lines 20-21: "Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle, / And what rough beast, its hour come round at last"

• The imagery of a rocking cradle suggests the birth of something disturbing.
• The "rough beast" is the result of centuries of unrest and turmoil, finally coming to fruition.

Lines 22-23: "Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?"

• The poem concludes with an unsettling image of the beast moving towards Bethlehem.
• The question is open-ended, leaving readers to interpret the nature and implications of this impending birth.

READ ALSO:

• THE SECOND COMING SUMMARY
• THE SECOND COMING CRITICAL ANALYSIS