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 sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about 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?
Unveiling the Prophetic Power of “The Second Coming”
William Butler Yeats’s “The Second Coming” stands as a monumental work in English literature, a poem that continues to resonate with profound relevance in every era of significant change. Penned in 1919 and published in 1920, this powerful poem captures a pervasive sense of societal disintegration and the unsettling anticipation of a new, potentially terrifying, world order. It is a masterclass in poetic foresight, offering not a literal religious prophecy, but a metaphorical vision of history’s cyclical nature and humanity’s recurring struggles with chaos and transformation. Understanding “The Second Coming” provides invaluable insight into the anxieties of the early 20th century and offers a lens through which to examine our own tumultuous times.
A Concise Overview: What is “The Second Coming” About?
“The Second Coming” explores the collapse of established order and the emergence of a new, unsettling era. The poem vividly depicts a world where traditional structures and beliefs are disintegrating, leading to widespread chaos and a loss of moral compass. This breakdown is not merely destructive; it heralds a profound shift, a “second coming” that is far from the benevolent return of a savior. Instead, it is the birth of a “rough beast,” a monstrous entity symbolizing a new, brutal age. The poem’s enduring power lies in its ability to articulate the universal human experience of living through periods of intense upheaval and uncertainty, making it a cornerstone for anyone seeking to understand the dynamics of historical change.
Central Idea: The Cyclical Nature of History and the Birth of a New Age
At its core, “The Second Coming” articulates Yeats’s belief in the cyclical nature of history. He envisioned history not as a linear progression, but as a series of vast, spiraling “gyres” where one age inevitably gives way to another. The poem describes the violent end of a 2,000-year cycle, characterized by Christian civilization, and the chaotic, unsettling birth of a new, antithetical era. The central idea is the inevitability of this transition and the terrifying, often brutal, character of the forces that emerge when an old order can no longer sustain itself.
Understanding the World of “The Second Coming”: Context and Core Concepts
To fully appreciate the depth of “The Second Coming,” it is essential to grasp the historical backdrop and the philosophical frameworks that shaped Yeats’s vision.
Historical Context: A World in Turmoil
The poem was written in the immediate aftermath of World War I, a conflict that shattered European civilization and faith in progress. This period also saw the Russian Revolution, the rise of fascism, and intense political and social unrest in Yeats’s native Ireland. These events profoundly influenced Yeats, fostering a deep sense of disillusionment and a conviction that the old world order was collapsing. The poem serves as a powerful artistic response to this global turmoil, reflecting a widespread feeling that humanity was teetering on the brink of an unknown future.
Yeats’s Gyres: The Spirals of History
A crucial concept for understanding “The Second Coming” is Yeats’s theory of “gyres.” These are not simple circles, but vast, interlocking spirals that represent the ebb and flow of historical forces. Each gyre lasts approximately 2,000 years, with one expanding as the other contracts, symbolizing the dominance of different cultural and spiritual values. The poem depicts the widening gyre of the current age, signifying its loss of coherence and the impending dominance of a new, opposing gyre. This philosophical framework provides the structural and thematic backbone for the poem’s vision of historical change.
Spiritus Mundi: The Collective Unconscious
The Latin phrase Spiritus Mundi translates to “spirit of the world” and refers to a collective unconscious, a universal memory bank of images, symbols, and archetypes shared by all humanity. For Yeats, this was the source from which prophetic visions and powerful symbols emerged. When the speaker in the poem witnesses “a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi,” it signifies a profound, archetypal revelation drawn from the deepest currents of human experience and history, rather than a personal hallucination.
An In-Depth Journey Through “The Second Coming”: Line by Line Analysis
Let us delve into the poem’s two powerful stanzas, unraveling the layers of meaning and the masterful use of language.
Stanza One: The Unraveling of Order
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.
The opening lines immediately establish a sense of accelerating chaos. The image of the “widening gyre” visually represents the expanding spiral of history, signifying a loss of control and increasing disorder. This is powerfully reinforced by the metaphor of “The falcon cannot hear the falconer.” The falcon, a symbol of human civilization or individual will, has flown too far from the falconer, representing guiding authority, reason, or traditional values. This loss of connection leads directly to the iconic declaration:
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
This line encapsulates the poem’s central theme of disintegration. The “centre” can be interpreted as any unifying force: moral authority, political stability, religious faith, or even the individual self. Its inability to “hold” signifies a complete breakdown. This collapse unleashes “Mere anarchy,” a state of absolute disorder, upon the world.
The imagery intensifies with “The blood‑dimmed tide is loosed.” This powerful metaphor evokes a flood of violence and brutality, suggesting that humanity is being overwhelmed by a wave of barbarism. The consequence is immediate and tragic:
and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
Here, “the ceremony of innocence” refers to established rituals, social graces, moral codes, and the very purity of human nature. It is not merely lost, but “drowned,” suggesting a violent, irreversible submersion. The stanza concludes with a stark observation about human character in times of crisis:
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
This profound statement highlights a critical imbalance. Those who possess moral integrity and wisdom (“the best”) are paralyzed by doubt or inaction, while those driven by destructive impulses (“the worst”) are filled with fervent, often dangerous, zeal. This imbalance allows chaos to flourish, setting the stage for the revelation in the second stanza.
Stanza Two: The Birth of the Rough Beast
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 sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about 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?
The second stanza opens with an anticipation of a “revelation” and the “Second Coming,” initially echoing traditional Christian prophecy. However, this expectation is immediately subverted. The vision that emerges from the “Spiritus Mundi” is not a benevolent savior, but a terrifying, sphinx-like creature:
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
This “rough beast” is a powerful symbol of the new, brutal age. Its “lion body” suggests raw, untamed power and savagery, while the “head of a man” implies a cold, calculating intellect devoid of human empathy. The “gaze blank and pitiless as the sun” emphasizes its indifference to human suffering, a force of nature rather than a moral agent. The desert setting further enhances the sense of desolation and ancient, primal power. The “Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds” adds to the chaotic, unsettling atmosphere, suggesting even nature is disturbed by this monstrous emergence.
The poem then shifts to a realization about the nature of historical cycles:
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
“Twenty centuries of stony sleep” refers to the 2,000-year Christian era, which is now ending. This long period of relative stability, or “sleep,” has been disturbed and transformed into a “nightmare” by the “rocking cradle.” The cradle, typically a symbol of new life and innocence, is here inverted to represent the disturbing birth of this new, terrifying age. It is a birth that brings not hope, but dread.
The poem culminates in one of the most famous and unsettling questions in literature:
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
The word “slouches” conveys a heavy, menacing, and inevitable movement. Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Christ, is ironically designated as the birthplace of this “rough beast.” This powerful juxtaposition highlights the complete inversion of traditional religious expectations. Instead of a divine savior bringing peace, a monstrous, amoral force is emerging, signaling a new era defined by its antithesis to the values of the past two millennia. This ending leaves the reader with a profound sense of unease and the chilling realization of history’s relentless, often brutal, cycles.
Mastering the Craft: Literary and Poetic Devices in “The Second Coming”
Yeats’s profound message is amplified by his masterful use of literary and poetic devices. Understanding these tools unlocks deeper layers of meaning and appreciation for the poem’s artistry.
- Metaphor: The poem is rich with extended metaphors that convey complex ideas through vivid comparisons.
- The “falcon and falconer” metaphor illustrates the breakdown of control and the loss of connection between humanity and guiding authority: “The falcon cannot hear the falconer.”
- “The blood‑dimmed tide” metaphorically represents the overwhelming surge of violence and chaos: “The blood‑dimmed tide is loosed.”
- The “rough beast” itself is a central metaphor for the emerging, brutal new age.
- Symbolism: Objects, places, and creatures carry significant symbolic weight, enriching the poem’s themes.
- The “gyre” symbolizes the cyclical nature of history and the expanding chaos of a dying age.
- “Bethlehem” symbolizes a place of birth and new beginnings, ironically subverted to signify the birth of a monstrous force.
- The “rocking cradle” symbolizes birth, but here it is associated with a “nightmare,” representing a disturbing new era.
- The “desert” symbolizes desolation, ancient power, and a barren landscape awaiting a new, harsh beginning.
- Imagery: Yeats employs vivid and unsettling imagery to create a palpable atmosphere of dread and foreboding.
- Visual imagery: “blood‑dimmed tide,” “shape with lion body and the head of a man,” “gaze blank and pitiless as the sun.”
- Kinetic imagery: “Turning and turning,” “moving its slow thighs,” “Reel shadows,” “Slouches towards Bethlehem.”
- Allusion: The poem makes direct and indirect references to historical, mythological, and religious contexts.
- The title “The Second Coming” and the mention of “Bethlehem” are direct allusions to Christian eschatology, which Yeats then subverts.
- The “shape with lion body and the head of a man” alludes to the Sphinx, a creature of mystery and destructive power from ancient mythology.
- Repetition: The strategic repetition of words and phrases emphasizes key ideas and creates a sense of inevitability.
- The repetition of “Surely” builds a sense of mounting certainty and anticipation: “Surely some revelation is at hand; / Surely the Second Coming is at hand.”
- The exclamation “The Second Coming!” highlights the dramatic shift in the poem’s focus.
- Juxtaposition: Contrasting images or ideas are placed side by side to highlight their differences and create tension.
- The contrast between “the best lack all conviction” and “the worst / Are full of passionate intensity” highlights societal imbalance.
- The juxtaposition of the sacred “Bethlehem” with the emergence of a “rough beast” creates powerful irony and subversion.
- Irony: The poem uses irony, particularly situational irony, to underscore its themes.
- The expectation of a benevolent “Second Coming” is ironically fulfilled by the arrival of a terrifying “rough beast.”
- The “cradle,” a symbol of innocence, ironically “vexed to nightmare” the “stony sleep” of centuries.
- Rhythm and Cadence: While not adhering to a strict, regular meter, the poem possesses a powerful, almost incantatory rhythm that contributes to its prophetic tone. Yeats often uses a loose iambic rhythm and varying line lengths to create a sense of urgency and gravity, making the lines memorable and impactful. The strong, declarative statements contribute to a sense of authority and inevitability.
- Structure: The poem is composed of two distinct stanzas, each serving a specific purpose. The first stanza meticulously details the breakdown of the old order, while the second shifts to the vision of the new, emerging force. This bipartite structure effectively moves from diagnosis to prophecy, building tension and culminating in the unsettling final question.
The Enduring Echoes of “The Second Coming”
“The Second Coming” remains a haunting and profoundly relevant poem, a testament to William Butler Yeats’s visionary genius. Its power lies not in predicting a specific future event, but in capturing the universal human experience of living through profound change, the unsettling loss of certainty, and the often terrifying birth of new, unknown eras. By engaging with the poem’s historical context, its rich tapestry of literary devices, and its central themes of disintegration and renewal, readers can gain a deeper understanding of the forces that shape history and human destiny. This poem invites us to reflect on the cycles of chaos and order, conviction and apathy, and to ponder what “rough beast” might be slouching towards our own contemporary Bethlehem, making it an essential text for anyone seeking to comprehend the complexities of the modern world.