Introduction
If you’ve ever read a poem that
feels both mysterious and a bit scary, you’ve probably come across “The
Second Coming” by W.B. Yeats. Written just after World War I, this poem
talks about chaos, destruction, and a new age that seems dark and
unpredictable.
Yeats uses powerful images and deep
symbolism to show that the world is falling apart — and something terrifying
might be about to replace it. But what exactly is he saying? Let’s break it
down step by step in simple English.
Background of the Poem
W.B. Yeats wrote “The Second Coming” in 1919, right after the First World War, when Europe was
still recovering from death, violence, and confusion. The old order of society
had collapsed — monarchies were falling, revolutions were spreading, and people
were losing faith in religion and stability.
Yeats, who believed in cyclical history (that history repeats itself in spirals or “gyres”), thought the
world was entering a new, dark era. The title “The Second Coming” is a
biblical reference to the return of Christ, but Yeats uses it ironically —
instead of peace and salvation, a beastly, violent age is about to
begin.
So, the poem reflects both political instability and spiritual crisis.
Text
Summary
of “The Second Coming” by W.B. Yeats
In this poem, Yeats describes a
world spinning out of control. The falcon can no longer hear the falconer,
symbolizing that humans have lost touch with order, control, and morality.
Everything is collapsing — the best people have no strength, and the worst are
full of passionate intensity.
As chaos spreads, Yeats imagines a
strange vision — a sphinx-like creature, rising from the desert, slowly
moving toward Bethlehem, where it will mark the birth of a new, terrifying era.
In short, Yeats predicts the end
of the old world and the birth of a new, dark age.
Stanza-Wise
Explanation of “The Second Coming”
Let’s break down the poem stanza by
stanza in easy language.
First
Stanza
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.
In this stanza, Yeats uses the image
of a falcon flying in circles (a “gyre”) to represent the world spinning
out of control. The falcon (humanity) can’t hear the falconer
(God or order) anymore — meaning that civilization has lost control and
connection with its moral center.
“Things fall apart; the centre
cannot hold” is one of the most famous lines in modern poetry — it means
everything stable and good is breaking down.
The world is now filled with chaos,
war, and moral confusion. The “blood-dimmed tide” refers to violence and
death, while “the ceremony of innocence is drowned” means goodness and purity
have disappeared.
The last line — “The best lack all
conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity” — sums up Yeats’s
view of society: the wise are silent, and the wicked are powerful.
Second
Stanza
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?
In this stanza, Yeats expects some
divine revelation — maybe Christ’s return, the “Second Coming.” But
instead of Jesus, he sees a frightening sphinx-like beast coming from
the desert.
This “rough beast” represents the birth
of a new, dark age — one that replaces the Christian age of peace with
violence and chaos.
The “rocking cradle” refers to the
birth of Jesus 2,000 years ago (“twenty centuries of stony sleep”), but now
that age is ending. The beast “slouches towards Bethlehem” — the place of
Christ’s birth — as if evil itself is being born anew.
Critical
Analysis of “The Second Coming”
Yeats’s poem is more than just a
reaction to war — it’s a prophecy of human civilization. He believed
that history moves in cycles of roughly 2,000 years, where one era collapses
and gives birth to another.
The first era began with the
birth of Christ — a time of order and morality. Now, after 20 centuries, that
cycle is ending. The next “coming” isn’t Christ-like — it’s monstrous,
symbolized by the “rough beast.”
In simple terms, Yeats is saying:
The modern world has lost its
spiritual center, and something terrifying will take its place.
The poem is filled with biblical
imagery, apocalyptic visions, and symbolic language. Its tone is dark,
prophetic, and foreboding — as if Yeats is warning humanity about its own
destruction.
Many critics see the poem as Yeats’s
response to the collapse of European civilization after World War I,
while others read it as a timeless warning about human greed, violence, and
spiritual decay.
Major
Themes in “The Second Coming”
- Chaos and Disorder:
The poem shows a world that’s falling apart — morally, socially, and
politically. - End of an Era:
Yeats believed history moves in cycles. The Christian era of peace is
ending, and a new, violent age is beginning. - Loss of Faith:
The falcon losing the falconer symbolizes humanity losing connection with
God and moral values. - Prophecy and Apocalypse:
The poem feels like a vision or prophecy — foretelling the end of the
world as we know it. - Good vs. Evil:
The best people are silent, and the worst dominate — showing how evil
rises when good people do nothing.
Figures
of Speech in “The Second Coming”
- Metaphor:
“The falcon cannot hear the falconer” represents humanity’s loss of
spiritual control. - Symbolism:
The “gyre” symbolizes the cycles of history. The “rough beast” symbolizes
the new, dark age. - Allusion:
The title and “Second Coming” refer to the Biblical prophecy of Christ’s
return. - Imagery:
“Blood-dimmed tide,” “lion body,” and “pitiless gaze” create vivid and
disturbing images. - Irony:
Instead of the return of Christ, Yeats imagines the coming of a beast —
turning hope into horror.
Conclusion
“The Second Coming” by W.B. Yeats is one of the most powerful and haunting poems of the 20th
century. It captures the fear, confusion, and loss of faith that followed the
destruction of World War I.
Yeats warns that when humanity loses
its moral and spiritual center, chaos and darkness take over. The poem’s
final image — the “rough beast slouching toward Bethlehem” — still gives
readers chills, reminding us that every age must face the monsters it creates.
Even a hundred years later, Yeats’s
vision of a collapsing world feels surprisingly familiar — which makes “The
Second Coming” more relevant than ever.
FAQs About “The Second Coming” by W.B. Yeats
1. What is the main message of “The Second Coming”?
The poem’s main message is that the modern world is falling apart, and a new, darker age is about to begin. Yeats shows how humanity has lost faith and moral direction, allowing chaos to take control.
2. Why did Yeats write “The Second Coming”?
Yeats wrote the poem in 1919, inspired by the destruction and confusion after World War I. He believed that the war symbolized the end of one historical era and the rise of another — darker and more violent.
3. What does the “rough beast” symbolize in the poem?
The “rough beast” represents a new, terrifying force being born — possibly a symbol of violence, dictatorship, or moral decay. It’s the opposite of Christ’s peaceful Second Coming.
4. What type of poem is “The Second Coming”?
It’s a modernist free-verse poem written in loose iambic pentameter. The poem has two stanzas and uses vivid imagery, symbolism, and prophetic tone instead of a fixed rhyme scheme.
5. What is meant by “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold”?
This famous line means that society’s moral, political, and spiritual foundations are collapsing. There’s no control or unity left — everything is spinning out of order.