Death, destruction, chaos, corruption, and the coming of the Apocalypse. All of
these themes occur throughout William Butler Yeats’ poem, “The Second Coming.” In
“The Second Coming,” Yeats used imagery, symbols, and diction to convey the revelation
of the coming doom of humanity. The poem contained negative and dark imagery, many
religious allusions and symbolism, and dark diction.
Yeats incorporates a variety of elements in order to convey the revelation of
humanity’s upcoming doom. He uses dark imagery which gives the reader a sense of
death and destruction, while at the same time the reader gets the feeling of the loss of
innocence. For example, Yeats states, “The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
/ The ceremony of innocence is drowned.” This example of imagery serves to convey the
message of the author. The poem also exhibits examples which gives the poem a sense of
the Apocalypse, the ultimate judgment or destruction for all of mankind. “A shape with
lion body and the head of a man, / A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun, / Is moving its
slow thighs,” gives the reader an image of the Sphinx which symbolizes a judger of evil.
The “reel shadows of the indignant desert birds,” is another imageric statement giving a
sense of the upcoming doom of mankind. Yeats successfully utilizes imagery in order to
convey the coming of the apocalypse on earth.
“The Second Coming” also incorporates much symbolism coupled with religious
allusions in order to convey the revelation of the coming of humanity’s doom. Yeats uses
symbolism and religious allusions in order to portray, not only the descent of man, but also
the corruption of man. “The falcon cannot hear the falconer,” is an example of symbolism
which speaks of the doom of mankind. The “falcon,” symbolizing the people, cannot hear
God, or the “falconer.” The next line of the poem tells of the coming of the Apocalypse as
total chaos and havoc is set out upon the world. “Things fall apart; the center cannot
hold; / Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, / The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and
everywhere / The ceremony of the innocence is drowned.” The “center” symbolizes the
center of the earth, which can hold together no longer due to the imminent doom and
“anarchy,” which symbolizes the coming of the Apocalypse. The “blood-dimmed tide”
symbolizes the bloodiness of war. The poem also contains an allusion to the Sphinx,
which symbolizes an ominous figure who judges the evil. “A shape with lion body and the
head of a man,” is a reference towards the Sphinx. This symbol serves to symbolize the
one who judges during the religiously associated judgment day. A reference to the coming
of the antichrist is also made—“And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, /
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?” This symbolizes the coming of the antichrist
and adds to Yeats’ message of the doom of mankind and the coming of the Apocalypse.
The dark diction sets a dark, gloomy, and chaotic mood. The creation of this
mood and atmosphere is essential for Yeats because it helps in conveying the message of
the doom of humanity. This dark diction is created by the usage of words, such as,
“anarchy,” “blood-dimmed,” “drowned,” “pitiless,” “indignant,” “darkness,” “vexed,” and
“nightmare.” All of these words collectively create the dark and destructive mood of the
poem which gives a great deal of help to the Apocalyptic theme of the poem.
William Butler Yeats, in his poem “The Second Coming,” utilized a great deal of
imagery, symbolism, and diction to convey the revelation of the coming of humanity’s
doom. He made great use of negative imagery, religious allusions and symbolism, and
dark diction in order to succeed at this. Yeats, a twentieth century, existentialist writer,
wrote about what was predominating his society—war and destruction, and what to many
seemed as the “second coming” of the Apocalypse.
Essay written by Irfan.