Sailing to Byzantium
I
That is no country for old men. The young
In one another’s arms, birds in the trees,
Those dying generations at their song,
The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,
Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long
Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.
Caught in that sensual music all neglect
Monuments of unageing intellect.II
An aged man is but a paltry thing,
A tattered coat upon a stick, unless
Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing
For every tatter in its mortal dress,
Nor is there singing school but studying
Monuments of its own magnificence;
And therefore I have sailed the seas and come
To the holy city of Byzantium.III
O sages standing in God’s holy fire
As in the gold mosaic of a wall,
Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre,
And be the singing-masters of my soul.
Consume my heart away; sick with desire
And fastened to a dying animal
It knows not what it is; and gather me
Into the artifice of eternity.IV
Once out of nature I shall never take
My bodily form from any natural thing,
But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make
Of hammered gold and gold enameling
To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;
Or set upon a golden bough to sing
To lords and ladies of Byzantium
Of what is past, or passing, or to come.
Summary of Sailing to Byzantium
Sailing to Byzantium is a richly symbolic poem by William Butler Yeats, first published in 1928. It explores aging, mortality, and the desire for artistic and spiritual transcendence. The speaker, disillusioned with the fleeting pleasures of the natural world, imagines a journey to Byzantium—a city that represents enduring art and intellect. He longs to escape the limits of the body and to become an eternal work of art, free from the cycles of birth and death.
Analysis of Sailing to Byzantium
Stanza I: Disillusionment with the Natural World
The poem opens with a stark declaration: “That is no country for old men.” This establishes a sense of displacement and dissatisfaction. Yeats is not merely lamenting the physical discomforts of aging but expressing a deeper disillusionment with a world dominated by youthful energy and natural cycles. The vivid imagery of birds in the trees, salmon falls, and mackerel‑crowded seas shows abundance, yet its transience is emphasized by the repeated phrase “begotten, born, and dies.” Yeats uses the image of “dying generations” to underline the fleeting nature of the young.
The speaker criticizes those “caught in that sensual music,” who are absorbed by physical pleasures and neglect “monuments of unageing intellect.” The “monuments” symbolize lasting human creation, offering refuge from the relentless cycle of birth and death.
Stanza II: The Condition of Age and the Call to Byzantium
The second stanza explicitly addresses the speaker’s perception of aging. “An aged man is but a paltry thing, a tattered coat upon a stick” is a stark self‑assessment of insignificance. However, this image is qualified: unless the “soul clap its hands and sing.” This suggests that true dignity comes from the vitality of the spirit, not from physical strength.
The lines “Nor is there singing school but studying / Monuments of its own magnificence” reinforce the importance of art and intellect. Education, for the speaker, is found not in formal instruction but in the contemplation of great works of art. This leads to the declaration, “And therefore I have sailed the seas and come / To the holy city of Byzantium.” The journey is symbolic, representing the quest for a place where the soul can flourish, free from physical limits.
Stanza III: Invocation of the Sages and the Desire for Transformation
The third stanza calls upon the “sages” of Byzantium, depicted as standing “in God’s holy fire.” This imagery evokes both the spiritual intensity of Byzantium and the artistic mastery of its craftsmen. The phrase “perne in a gyre” suggests a swirling motion, perhaps a reference to the cyclical nature of time.
The speaker implores the sages to become “the singing‑masters of my soul” and seeks a radical transformation: “Consume my heart away.” This is not a wish for annihilation but for purification. The speaker longs to shed earthly attachments and embrace a purely spiritual existence. The lines “fastened to a dying animal / It knows not what it is” express dissatisfaction with bodily limits. He desires to be gathered “into the artifice of eternity”—to become an enduring work of art that transcends time and decay.
Stanza IV: The Vision of Eternal Art
The final stanza outlines the speaker’s vision of his future form. He imagines being reborn not as a natural being but as an artificial creation—a golden statue crafted by Grecian goldsmiths. The image of hammered gold and gold enameling evokes the exquisite artistry of Byzantium and its enduring beauty.
This golden form will transcend nature’s limits and exist eternally, “To keep a drowsy Emperor awake” or “set upon a golden bough to sing.” These images suggest art’s timeless function: to inspire, to entertain, and to preserve memory. The speaker’s eventual form will sing of what is past, passing, or to come, underscoring art’s power to connect present, past, and future. The final lines offer a powerful statement about art’s purpose: to transcend the physical world and offer a glimpse of eternity.
Literary and Poetic Devices in Sailing to Byzantium
Imagery and Symbolism
Yeats masterfully employs imagery and symbolism. Byzantium itself is a powerful symbol of artistic and spiritual perfection. Gold represents eternity and incorruptibility, while the sea symbolizes the soul’s journey. The recurring bird motif embodies freedom and transcendence. The aged man and his tattered coat symbolize mortality and the limits of the body.
Metaphor and Simile
The poem relies heavily on metaphor. The “sages standing in God’s holy fire” symbolize artistic inspiration. The comparison of the aged man to a tattered coat is a striking metaphor for vulnerability and decay. Simile is less prominent, but the phrase “as in the gold mosaic of a wall” offers a visual comparison that enhances the imagery.
Alliteration and Assonance
Yeats subtly uses alliteration and assonance to enhance musicality. The repetition of the s sound in “salmon falls, the mackerel‑crowded seas” creates a flowing effect. Assonance appears in the repetition of the short e sound in “begotten, born.”
Structure and Form
The poem is written in four eight‑line stanzas (octaves), with a consistent ABAB rhyme scheme. This regular structure provides a sense of order and control, mirroring the speaker’s desire for transcendence and the permanence of art. Enjambment, the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next, creates momentum and fluidity.