Poetry Analysis of The Second Coming by Yeats

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THE SECOND COMING

By William Butler Yeats, 1922

Mr. Yeats relates his vision, either real or imagined, concerning prophesies of the days of the Second coming. The writer uses the Holy Bible scripture text for his guide for because no one could explain this period of time without referring to the Holy Bible. He has chosen to present it in the form of a poem, somewhat like the quatrains of Nostradamus. The poem does not cover all the details of this event, but does give the beginning of the powerful messages, and a dark look at those ominous days surrounding the Second Coming of The Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps he is trying in his own words to warn everyone about the end time days.

I also will be using the Bible as my guide as I attempt to explain Mr. Yeats poem The Second Coming! In reading about the personage of Mr. Yeats I found he was a learned man of his day and spent much of his time with the aristocracy of his period. As most people at the turn of the century, he does attend church services and learns of the Word of God, but we find he is not a religious man in his faith. He did however have a strong belief and interest in the prophecies found in the Holy Bible.

What was it he was trying to explain? We understand that the poet lived and wrote this poem at the turn of the century when atheism, darwinism, and a more secular materialistic world was beginning to take hold. Knowing the scriptures, he viewed these signs as evidence of the impending “Second Coming” He seemed to want to warn us!

Jesus our Lord himself warned us in His Word about 2000 years ago. We can find these signs written in the scriptures of St. Matthew 24, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelat...

... middle of paper ...

...before the flood they were eating & drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until that day that No’e entered the ark. 39) And knew not until the flood came and took them all away, so shall the days of the coming of the Son of man be.

BibIiography and Works Cited

Dr. Karen Droisen, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Short Bibliography, William Butler Yeats

Home Page: http://www.1n1v.edu/faculty/droisen/437byeats.htm Path: help Yeats

Encyclopedia Britannica onLine .

www.touregypt.net/featurestories/sphinx1.htm. Path: Encyclopedia.com

Holy Bible, King James Version. Dugan Publishers, Inc Gordonsville Tennessee, 1988

Mirium-Webster. OnLine Dictionary- http://www.onelook.com/Path:Dictionaries.com

The American Heritage Dictionary, Of The English Language, 4th Edition 2000

http://www.bartleby.com/61/. Path: American Heritage Dictionary.com

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