Line by line analysis of the poem The Second Coming written by W.B. Yeats.

Line-by-Line Analysis of W.B. Yeats's "The Second Coming"

1. "Turning and turning in the widening gyre"
The poem opens with the image of a "widening gyre," representing Yeats's belief in cyclical history. The gyre is a spiral symbolizing the breakdown of the current era as it expands and loses control. The repetition of "turning" emphasizes chaos and disorientation.

2. "The falcon cannot hear the falconer;"
The falcon symbolizes humanity or civilization, and the falconer represents order, tradition, or guidance. The falcon's inability to hear the falconer suggests a loss of connection with the controlling force, leading to disorder.

3. "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;"
This iconic line conveys the collapse of societal structures and moral stability. "The centre" represents core values or central authority, and its inability to hold signifies the unraveling of civilization.

4. "Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,"
The word "mere" intensifies the sense of absolute chaos, suggesting a world engulfed in lawlessness and disarray. "Loosed" conveys a sudden and uncontrollable outbreak.

5. "The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere"
The "blood-dimmed tide" symbolizes violence, war, and destruction. It paints a picture of a world overwhelmed by carnage and suffering, where chaos floods every corner of existence.

6. "The ceremony of innocence is drowned;"
This line implies the loss of purity, morality, and sacred values. Rituals or ceremonies that represent innocence and stability are overwhelmed by the chaos of the "blood-dimmed tide."

7. "The best lack all conviction, while the worst"
Here, Yeats observes a moral paradox: virtuous and thoughtful individuals are indecisive and passive, while destructive and extremist forces act with certainty and zeal.

8. "Are full of passionate intensity."
The "worst" are portrayed as dangerously fervent, driven by unrestrained energy that exacerbates the chaos, in stark contrast to the inaction of "the best."

9-10. "Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand."
Yeats anticipates a transformative event, the "Second Coming," drawing from Christian eschatology. However, the tone suggests dread rather than hope, hinting at a distorted or catastrophic revelation.

11-12. "The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi"
Yeats repeats "The Second Coming" with urgency. "Spiritus Mundi," or the "world spirit," refers to a universal consciousness from which visions arise. The poet envisions an ominous figure emerging from this collective subconscious.

13-14. "Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,"
The "shape" described is a sphinx-like figure, a monstrous creature symbolizing a new and terrifying age. Its desert setting suggests desolation and a departure from the familiar.

15-16. "A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it"
The creature’s "blank and pitiless" gaze evokes a sense of inhumanity and indifference. Its slow, deliberate movement emphasizes its inevitability and power.

17-18. "Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds."
The "shadows" of circling birds evoke death and decay, adding to the apocalyptic atmosphere. The birds’ indignation reflects the disruption of natural and moral orders.

19-20. "The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep"
"Darkness" signifies ignorance or the return of uncertainty. The "twenty centuries of stony sleep" refers to the Christian era, which Yeats suggests has been dormant or static, now awakening to something new and ominous.

21-22. "Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,"
The Christian era’s “cradle” has been disturbed, giving rise to a "rough beast," a monstrous figure representing a chaotic new age. "Its hour come round at last" underscores Yeats's cyclical view of history.

23-24. "Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?"
The poem ends with a chilling question. The "rough beast" moves toward Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, but its slouching posture suggests an anti-Christ or a distorted Second Coming, marking the advent of a dark, uncertain future.

Conclusion

Yeats's "The Second Coming" uses rich imagery and symbolism to portray a world in transition, where the collapse of the old order paves the way for a terrifying new era. It reflects his belief in the cyclical nature of history and captures the tension and uncertainty of post-World War I society. The poem’s prophetic tone and apocalyptic vision make it one of the most profound works in modern literature.