The Second Coming – Stanza wise meaning and Themes

The Second Coming – Stanza wise meaning and Themes | W. B. Yeats

The Second Coming – Stanza wise meaning and Themes | W. B. Yeats

"The Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats is a very famous and esoteric poem. It was written in 1919. This poem reflects the chaotic and frightening time after World War I. Below is a brief description about the poem and its analysis is given:

"The Second Coming" ডব্লিউ. বি. ইয়েটস এর একটি অত্যন্ত বিখ্যাত এবং গূঢ় কবিতা। এটি ১৯১৯ সালে লেখা হয়েছিল। প্রথম বিশ্বযুদ্ধের পরে এই কবিতাটি বিশৃঙ্খল এবং ভীতিকর সময়কে প্রতিফলিত করে। নিচে কবিতা এবং এর বিশ্লেষণ সম্পর্কে একটি সংক্ষিপ্ত বিবরণ দেওয়া হল:

👉 Introduction to poetry

"The Second Coming" means "second arrival" - it is associated with the prediction of Jesus Christ coming into the Bible. But Yeats talks about the arrival of a scary, violent and chaotic era instead of a divine avatar here.

"The Second Coming" অর্থ হল, দ্বিতীয় আগমন - এটা বাইবেলে যিশু খ্রিস্টের আগমনের ভবিষ্যদ্বাণীর সঙ্গে সম্পর্কযুক্ত।" কিন্তু ইয়েটস একটি স্বর্গীয় অবতারের পরিবর্তে একটি ভীতিজনক, সহিংস এবং বিশৃঙ্খল যুগের আগমনের কথা বলেছেন।

👉 Main themes

Chaos and destruction:

The poem begins with this line - "Things fall apart; the center cannot hold" - This means that the world is out of its balance, no longer there is no stability.

Energy of old system

Yeats feels that old values, religions and political systems are falling down, and a new - perhaps terrible - power is born.

Scary form of second arrival:

Traditionally Second Coming is seen as hope and salvation, but according to Yeats it is a demonic power arrival - which will take the world even darker.

👉 Imagery and symbols

Falcon and falconer:

In poetry, "Falcon" is like a person who is no longer listening to his creator (society or tradition). This symbolizes the end of control.

Sphinx -like creature:

Finally, a scary creature - half an animal, half a human - moves towards "Bethlehem", which shows that humanity is now entering a new, dangerous era.

👉 Importance and Effects

This poem of Yeats seems equally relevant today, especially when there is war, social change or political upheaval in the world. This poem not only talks about its time, but gives an eternal warning - that when the balance breaks, anarchy takes birth.

👉 The Second Coming – Stanza wise meaning

Turning and turning in the widing gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; The center cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

Walking in a big circle,

The hawk is unable to hear his instructor's voice.

Everything is shattering; The center has lost its balance.

Only anarchy (destruction without rules) is covered on the world.

The Blood-DIMMED TIDE is Loosed, And Everywahere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The Best Lack All Conviction, While The Worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

Blood waves are flowing from blood,

And all the rites of innocence are drowning.

Those who are good do not have confidence,

While those who are bad are full of enthusiasm.

Surely some revival is at hand;

Surely the second coming is at hand.

The Second Coming! Hardly are that words out

When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi

Troubles my sight: someweere in sands of the desert

Certainly a big secret is going to be revealed.

Surely the "second arrival" is near.

As soon as I say this,

"Spiritus Munddi" (collective consciousness) a huge image comes in front of my eyes:

Somewhere in the desert sand ...

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.

A creature whose body is of a lion and the head of a human being.

His eyes are rigid like the sun, without feeling.

He is moving slowly, and around him

The shadows of desert birds filled with anger are moving.

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 round at last,

Slouches Bethlehem to be born?

The darkness is reverberating, but now I understood -

That twenty centuries of hard sleep

A swing (cradle) has woke up with bad dreams.

And now the rough creature whose watch has come,

Rough beast is moving towards Bethlehem in the trick - to take birth.

👉 Line by line meaning (in brief)

Turning and turning ...	The balance of society has deteriorated. Falconer is lost.
Things Fall Apart ...	Now no system is standing.
The blood-dimmed tide ...	Violence is spread all around, innocence is ending.
The Best Lack All Conviction ...	Good people are silent, bad people are speaking loudly.
The second coming ...	Any new, but dangerous era is coming.
A shape with lion body ...	A terrible monster is about to be born - it is a sign of destruction, not the Messiah.

👉 Educational Notes / Main Points

Poet	W.B. Yeats (Great Poet of Ireland, Nobel Winner)
Year:	1919 (after World War I)
Main sentiment:	social and spiritual collapse, fear of new era
Style:	Symbolism, predicted tone
Inspiration:	War, political revolution, changing nature of the world