Friday 16 December 2022

W.B.Yeats Poems

W.B.Yeats poems :-



Hello Everyone, I'm a student of the Department of English,M.K.B.U., this task is assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad Sir.In this blog I'm going to discuss two or three famous poems by him.



Points to Ponder :-


  1. Introduction

  2. About the Poet

  3. About His Poems

  • On Being Asked for a War Poem(1915)

  • Second Coming(1919)

  1. Conclusion 



Introduction :-


William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet of The 20th Century. The 20th century was dominated by significant events that defined the modern era: Spanish flu pandemic, World War I and World War II, nuclear weapons, nuclear power and space exploration, nationalism and decolonization, the Cold War and post-Cold War conflicts, and technological advances. 

These reshaped the political and social structure of the globe.


The auto-biography of W.B.Yeats is vividly reflected in his poems.We find almost all cultures and traditions as well as history of Irish People in his poems.



About The Poet :-


 He was an Irish Poet and Dramatist. He was born in Dublin, Ireland (1865-1939). He was the greatest poet of the 20th century.W. B. Yeats is a symbolist poet.

 He was one of the founders of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.In 1922 he became a senator of the Irish free state.His first poem placed in the newspaper was called "The Wanderings of Oisin".He won the Nobel prize for Literature in 1923.




Major Poems of W. B. Yeats :-

  • A Prayer for my Daughter

  • The Second Coming

  • The Tower

  • The Wanderings of Oisin

  • On Being Asked for a War Poem

  • In Memory

  • Sailing to Byzantium




Yeats Started writing Poems in 1887.He was inspired by Percy Bysshe Shelley and William Blake. In 1899 he fell in love with Maud Gonne, a beautiful actress and she is the subject of most of his love poems.

e.g.,No Second Troy




Poems By W.B.Yeats :-


In this blog I'm going to discuss W.B.Yeats' two major poems. Which are like.,


  1. On Being Asked for a War Poem(1915)

  2. Second Coming(1919)


Pptx and Video based on 'W. B. Yeats Poems' :-








  1. On Being Asked for a War Poem :-

Introduction :-


This poem is based on the First World War. Iw was a troublesome time for all the human beings. In this poem, the Poet  mostly criticises people and politicians,and he also writes about the condition of poets and he describes the role of poets through this poem. 


Key Facts :-


  • Poet :- William Butler Yeats

  • Title :- On Being Asked For A War Poem

  • Published :- 6 February,1915

  • Genre :- Political War Poem

  • Time. :- Beginning of The First World War

  • Asked by :- Henry James & Edith Wharton

  • Style of Writing :- Iambic Pentameter, Sextet

  • Tone  :- Ironical Tone




About The Poem :-


It’s one of Yeats’s shortest well-known poems, comprising just six lines, and sets out why Yeats chooses not to write a ‘war poem’ for publication.The poem was first published in Edith Wharton's ‘The Book of the Homeless’ in 1916 as "A Reason for Keeping Silent". When it was later reprinted in The Wild Swans at Coole, the title was changed to "On being asked for a War Poem".The poem says that it is not the place of a poet to write about politics, but that the poet instead should limit his interference in the world to pleasing his companions. 



Analysis Of The Poem :-


Poem :-


I think it better that in times like these

A poet's mouth be silent, for in truth

We have no gift to set a statesman right;

He has had enough of meddling who can please

A young girl in the indolence of her youth,

Or an old man upon a winter’s night.



Analysis :-


This poem is written in the Year 1915 by W.B.Yeays. This Poem is a kind of response to his friend Henry James's request for war poetry. It is written in an ironic tone. This comprises only six lines. 


In this poem the Poet mostly criticises all those people who easily believe in politician's talks and promises. In the poem,the Poet describes what is the role of a poet . How people blindly follow politician's speeches rather than listen to a poet. Poets believe that they should not write their poetry on war. He likes to write his poems or lyrics for Young people and Ballads for old people . He believes that poet's should shut their mouth during times like this because he feels that they do not have that much capability or abilities as compared to politicians. They have not any kind of  gift of Statement,who can prove their thoughts,they should never interfere in the politics. 


According to Poet , politician's can easily encourage people but they can do like that and no one can believe in a poet's thoughts as much as politicians.  Poets like to write their poems or lyrics for Young people and Ballads for old people instead of writing a war poem. 


This poem is written in Ironical tone , we can say that because in this poem, the Poet describes that they should not write their poems on war but he says that through writing poetry on war.


According to E. M. Fauster , He criticises this poem and says that the Poet tries to escape from the crowd or a people who can be easily encouraged by politicians. He claims that you(W.B.Yeats) are lier with the crowd. 



  1. Second Coming (1919) :-



Introduction :-




This poem is written by W.B.Yeats and it was published in 1919. This poem is based on World War and a Flu Pandemic. In This poem ,the poet defines how the people of that time were suffering from the flu and how innocent people became the victims of war,and what were the problems they were faced at that time.


Key Facts :-


  • Poet :- William Butler Yeats

  • Written :- 1919

  • Time :-the beginning of the Irish war of independence

  • First Published :- In 'The Dial' in 1920

  • Style Of Writing :-The poem uses Christian imagery regarding the Apocalypse,allegorically describing the atmosphere of post war in Europe.

  • Genre:- Epocylipse Poem (end of the world)

  • Connected to :- The Flu Pandemic 



About The Poem :- 


This poem is written in two stanzas. It describes two different images of the world at that time. That images are like.,


1). Blood -doomed tide…downed(First Stanza)

2). Sober-looking person coming, rough beast(Second Stanza)


Through these two images the poet tries to define the situation of that time in this poem.



Analysis of the Poem :- 


Poem :-


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?



Analysis :-


This poem is based on the hopelessness of the people. They feel that God is unhappy and that's why they are facing such a critical condition. Because they face the war at first and then after they are facing the flu pandemic that's why they feel that God is unhappy with them.


In the First stanza ,poet tries to define situation of a war by saying that ,


"The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere 

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;"


Through this Image he says how innocent people survive in war or how innocent people become the victims of war. He also uses the image of sea ,in this poem he defines the water of sea as a blood-dimmed Water means a water like blood. Through the water of the sea he tries to imagine to his readers that like the water ,blood of people is flawed at the time of war. 


In the Second Stanza ,poet tries to define the hope of the people, at that time people believes that,


"Sober-looking Person Coming,into the rough beast"


Through this image , the poet defines how the people of that time are waiting for a son of God ,who is Jesus Crist. People believe that God will send one person who will solve their problems and who will save them from the pandemic and war. 



Title of The Poem :-


Title of the Poem suggests the second condition of Christianity,which is connected to Jesus Crist, rebirth of the son of God. 



Conclusion :-


To sum up, It can be easily said that the auto-biography of W.B.Yeats is vividly reflected in his poems. We find almost all cultures and traditions as well as history of Irish people in his poems. 



Word Count :- 1537

Images :- 2

Video :- 01

Pptx :- 01



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