W.B.Yeats's Poems

W.B. Yeats (1865-1939) :

W.B. Yeats was an Irish poet, playwright, and senator who was a central figure in the Celtic Twilight movement and one of the leading voices of 20th-century English-language poetry. Yeats is considered one of the greatest poets of the 20th century and his works often explore themes of love, death, and the occult. Some of his most famous works include "The Lake Isle of Innisfree," "When You Are Old," "The Second Coming," and "Sailing to Byzantium."

W.B. Yeats was born on June 13, 1865, in Dublin, Ireland.

He died on January 28, 1939, in Roque rune - Cap-Martin, France at the age of 73.

W.B. Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923 "for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation." The Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded annually to an author from any country who has produced in the field of literature "the most outstanding work in an ideal direction." Yeats' works are known for their themes of love, death, and the occult, as well as their powerful imagery and musicality. His contributions to modernist literature and his ability to give voice to the Irish cultural and national identity were also factors in his winning the Nobel Prize.

Poems : 

"The Second Coming"

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.

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?

Outka makes it clear that the pandemic wasn’t “forgotten”—it just went underground. Reading as a pandemic poem.

"The Second Coming" is a poem written by W.B. Yeats, first published in 1919 in his collection "Michael Robartes and the Dancer". It's a canonical poem. The poem is widely regarded as one of Yeats' masterpieces and a cornerstone of Modernist poetry.

The poem explores themes of disillusionment, societal change, and spiritual turmoil, and is often interpreted as a meditation on the aftermath of World War I and the decline of Western civilization.

The famous line "The center cannot hold" reflects Yeats' concern about the loss of tradition and the chaos that was emerging in the world around him.

The line "The center cannot hold" from W.B. Yeats's poem "The Second Coming" refers to the idea of societal and cultural decay and the loss of stability in the world. It suggests that the central values, beliefs, and norms that previously held society together are no longer able to maintain their influence and control, leading to a breakdown of order and the rise of chaos. The line is often interpreted as a commentary on the sense of uncertainty and upheaval in the aftermath of World War I and the decline of Western civilization. He indicates that the digression of social values is very harmful.

                     Study material upon this line of the poem.

The lines suggest that the loss of stability and moral authority has led to a sense of moral decay and a rise of evil. The lines are often interpreted as a commentary on the aftermath of World War I and the decline of Western civilization, reflecting a sense of disillusionment.

They describe a society in which traditional values and norms have broken down and the once virtuous and moral individuals have lost their sense of purpose and conviction, while those who are considered evil or wicked are full of conviction and drive.

That means good people lose their faith and evil is motivated to do bad things.

The poem describes a world that is falling apart, and Yeats uses vivid imagery to evoke a sense of chaos and uncertainty. The "vast image out of Spiritus Mundi" refers to a vision of the future that Yeats sees, and the "shape with lion body and the head of a man" represents a monstrous creature that is coming into being.

The creature's "gaze blank and pitiless as the sun" suggests that it is indifferent to human suffering, and the "shadows of the indignant desert birds" suggest that it is causing widespread destruction.

The final lines of the poem are particularly haunting, as Yeats suggests that the creature's arrival has been foretold by the "twenty centuries of stony sleep" - a reference to the two thousand years that have passed since the birth of Christ. The "rough beast" that is slouching towards Bethlehem is a symbol of chaos and destruction, and the poem ends on a note of uncertainty and dread, as Yeats wonders what kind of world this creature will bring forth when it is born.

• Bethlehem- Where Jesus Christ first born.

"On Being Asked for a War Poem"

I think it better that in times like these

A poet's mouth be silent, for in truth

We have no gift to set a statesman right;

He has had enough of meddling who can please

A young girl in the indolence of her youth,

Or an old man upon a winter’s night.

A rhyme scheme ABC, ABC and written in Iambic Pentameter. The first three lines refer to the poet’s attitude to writing about war; the next three lines write on the self-imposed limits of the poet’s interventions in the world. (Analysis)

His (W.B.Yeats) line ‘We have no gift to set a statesman right’ is a forerunner to Auden’s famous line that ‘poetry makes nothing happen’, and the similarity is no coincidence: Auden makes that well-known statement in his elegy for W. B. Yeats, written in 1939.

"On Being Asked for a War Poem" was written in 1915, during the early years of World War I. The poem explores Yeats' struggle with the expectations placed upon him as a poet to write about the war.

In the poem, Yeats begins by acknowledging the request for a war poem, but quickly expresses his hesitation to write one. He suggests that war poems are not as simple as they may seem, and that the subject matter is difficult for a poet to approach. He also suggests that war is not a suitable subject for poetry, as it is an ugly and violent experience.

Yeats then goes on to describe the complexity of war, stating that it is not simply a matter of good versus evil. He suggests that war is a struggle between two opposing forces, both of which may believe they are fighting for what is right. He describes the horror and tragedy of war, and suggests that it is not something that can be easily captured in a poem.

The final stanza of the poem contains a powerful image of a soldier who has died in battle, and the futility of the conflict in which he fought. Yeats suggests that there is no glory in war, and that the true tragedy lies in the loss of life that it causes.

Why he wrote this poem?

He wrote the poem "On Being Asked for a War Poem" in response to a request for him to write a poem about the ongoing World War I. At the time, Yeats was living in Ireland, which was not directly involved in the war, and he had mixed feelings about it.

Yeats was deeply affected by the war and the senseless loss of life it caused. He was also struggling with his own role as a poet in the midst of such a devastating event. In the poem, Yeats expresses his hesitation to write a war poem, as he believes that war is not a suitable subject for poetry.

Yeats was a complex and politically engaged poet, who used his work to explore his thoughts on Irish nationalism and other political issues. In the context of his wider body of work, "On Being Asked for a War Poem" can be seen as part of his larger commentary on the devastating effects of war and the human condition in general.

Yeats wrote this poem to express his own personal feelings about war and the difficulties he faced as a poet in addressing such a challenging subject. The poem also reflects Yeats' larger political and philosophical concerns, which were a central focus of his work.

(Words 1493, Photos 05, Videos 04)

Robert Frost's poems

"Mending Walls" and "Briches" poems by Robert Frost

Robert Frost : 

Robert Frost (1874-1963) was an American poet and playwright. He is considered one of the most prominent and well-known poets of the 20th century and is recognized for his realist style and use of rural settings and traditional forms in his poetry. He won four Pulitzer Prizes for poetry and is best known for works such as "The Road Not Taken," "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," and "Mending Wall." Frost's works often explore universal themes of life, death, and the human experience, and his accessible style has made his poems widely read and studied.

Robert Frost was born in San Francisco, California in 1874. His family moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts when he was 11 years old. He attended Dartmouth College but dropped out after only a few months. He worked various jobs, including teaching and journalism, before moving to England in 1912 to focus on his writing.

In England, Frost met and was influenced by other contemporary poets, including Rupert Brooke and Edward Thomas. He published his first book of poetry, "A Boy's Will," in 1913, and it was well received by critics. He returned to the United States in 1915 and continued to write and publish poetry, eventually becoming one of America's most famous poets.

Frost was married to Elinor Miriam White, with whom he had six children. He was awarded four Pulitzer Prizes for poetry and was also appointed Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1958. He died in Boston in 1963 at the age of 88. Throughout his life, Frost was known for his dry wit and practical, down-to-earth approach to life and literature, which is reflected in his poetry.

Mending Walls :

The poem describes a speaker's annual ritual of repairing a wall that separates his property from his neighbor's, and reflects on the idea of boundaries and the purpose of walls. The speaker muses on the absurdity of the wall, as it serves no practical purpose, yet he and his neighbor continue to maintain it each year.

The poem is often interpreted as a commentary on human relationships and the ways in which people create and maintain barriers between each other, both physically and emotionally. Through its vivid imagery and poignant questions, "Mending Wall" challenges the reader to consider the purpose and meaning of walls and boundaries, and the impact they have on our lives.

Concept of this poem : Theme

The main point of Robert Frost's "Mending Wall" is that walls and boundaries can act as physical and emotional barriers between people, which can limit communication and understanding. The speaker reflects on the annual ritual of repairing a wall between his property and his neighbor's, and questions the purpose and meaning of the wall.

The poem's central theme is the idea of boundaries and their impact on human relationships. The wall serves as a symbol for the ways in which people create and maintain barriers between each other. The speaker muses on the absurdity of the wall, as it serves no practical purpose, yet he and his neighbor continue to maintain it each year. This act of upkeep serves to reinforce the idea of the wall as a physical barrier between the two properties.

At the same time, the speaker recognizes the importance of community and the value of shared experiences in bringing people together. Despite the fact that the wall serves no practical purpose, the speaker and his neighbor engage in an annual ritual of repairing it together. This act of shared labor highlights the need for unity and cooperation in society.

The poem raises questions about the nature of walls and boundaries, and their impact on human relationships. Through its vivid imagery and poignant questions, "Mending Wall" encourages the reader to reflect on the purpose and meaning of walls and boundaries in their own lives and in society at large.

Rhyming Scheme :

The rhyming scheme of Robert Frost's poem "Mending Wall" is a loosely structured pattern of alternate rhyme, with the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. This means that the first and second lines of each stanza rhyme with each other, as do the third and fourth lines. The rhyming words in the poem are chosen carefully to create a sense of balance and structure, while also allowing for a certain degree of freedom and unpredictability.

Frost's use of rhyme in "Mending Wall" reinforces the poem's themes of boundaries and stability, as the rhyme patterns serve to provide a sense of structure and containment, while also suggesting the idea of balance and symmetry. The loose rhyme scheme also allows Frost to create a conversational tone, making the poem more accessible and relatable to the reader. The rhyming words also serve to emphasize key ideas and themes, helping to drive home the poem's central message about the purpose and meaning of walls and boundaries.

Birches

"Birches" is a poem by American poet Robert Frost, first published in 1916 in his collection "Mountain Interval." The poem is one of Frost's most famous works and is considered a classic of 20th-century American poetry. It is a meditation on childhood, nature, and the power of imagination, and features Frost's signature use of rural New England landscapes as a backdrop for his reflections on life and human experience. The poem is known for its imaginative description of the speaker's experiences climbing and bending birches, which serves as a metaphor for the idea of bending but not breaking under the weight of life's challenges.

Robert Frost’s “Birches” : A Visual Interpretation by Julian Peters

Theme :

The theme of "Birches" by Robert Frost can be summarized as follows:

• Childhood memories :

The poem reflects on the speaker's childhood memories of climbing birches and playing in the woods.

• Nature as a source of solace :

The speaker finds comfort and peace in the natural world, particularly in the birches.

• Escaping reality :

The act of climbing the birches is seen as a way of temporarily escaping the difficulties of adult life.

• The power of imagination :

The poem explores the idea that imagination can shape our perceptions of reality and provide a source of comfort and escape.

• The passage of time :

The poem also reflects on the inevitability of aging and the passage of time.

• The cycle of life and death :

The image of the birches bending but not breaking is seen as a metaphor for the resilience of life in the face of adversity.

Overall, the theme of "Birches" is the interplay between imagination and reality, and how nature and childhood experiences can provide comfort and solace in the face of life's challenges.

Symbol :

• Birches :

The birches symbolize the resilience of life and the ability to bend but not break under the weight of life's challenges. They also symbolize childhood memories and the power of imagination.

• Climbing the birches :

The act of climbing the birches symbolizes escape from reality and the pursuit of a more imaginative and carefree state of mind.

• Ice-storms :

The ice-storms symbolize the harsh realities of life, such as adversity and the passage of time, and the way these forces can shape and transform us.

• The woods :

The woods symbolize the natural world and the peace and comfort it can provide.

• Swinging birches :

The image of the birches swinging back and forth is a metaphor for the cyclical nature of life and the way it can bring us both joy and sorrow.

Overall, the symbols in "Birches" serve to reinforce the themes of the poem and deepen our understanding of the speaker's reflections on childhood, nature, and the power of imagination.

(Words 1245,Images 04, Videos 04)