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A famous poem by the Irish poet William Butler Yeats, The Second Coming depicts a vision of the Second Coming of Christ as a symbol of the end of the world and the loss of innocence. The poem explores the themes of religion, history, and politics through the imagery of a falcon, a rocking cradle, and a blood-dimmed tide.
- “The Second Coming” Summary.
- “The Second Coming” Themes. Civilization, Chaos, and Control. See where this theme is active in the poem. Morality and Christianity.
- Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “The Second Coming” Lines 1-2. Turning and turning in the widening gyre. The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Lines 3-6.
- “The Second Coming” Symbols. The Falcon. See where this symbol appears in the poem. The Beast.
The poem uses Christian imagery regarding the Apocalypse and Second Coming to describe allegorically the atmosphere of post-war Europe. It is considered a major work of modernist poetry and has been reprinted in several collections, including The Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry .
A poem that explores the apocalyptic atmosphere of post-World War I Europe with symbolism and imagery. Learn about the poem's meter, meaning, themes, and context with a line-by-line commentary and a PDF guide.
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- Poetry Analyst
The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is the Christian belief that Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his ascension to Heaven (which is said to have occurred about two thousand years ago).
A poem of visionary horror and mystical imagery, inspired by the book A Vision of a zodiac of the Second Coming of Christ. The poem depicts a vision of a savage beast emerging from the desert, symbolizing the end of an age of innocence and the birth of a new one.
In “The Second Coming,” William Butler Yeats reflects on the cataclysmic violence that had shattered many parts of the world in the tumultuous 1910s. Yeats wrote the poem in 1919, just one year after World War I ended, two years after the Russian Revolution, and three years after the failed Irish nationalist insurrection known as the Easter Rising.
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