The W.B. Yeats' s Poem

Detailed Analysis of the Video Lectures and Hindi Podcast on W. B. Yeats’s Poems

Poems Covered

1. The Second Coming

2. On Being Asked for a War Poem

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I. Detailed Analysis of Online Class Video on The Second Coming

1. 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?

Video Link: https://youtu.be/C9qX3F0gsOQ

A. Historical and Intellectual Context (as explained in the video)

The video situates The Second Coming in the aftermath of World War I, a period marked by political revolutions, social unrest, and moral uncertainty. The lecture stresses that Yeats was responding not only to war but to a collapse of belief systems—religious, political, and cultural.

The teacher explains Yeats’s personal philosophy of history, especially his concept of “gyres”—interlocking spirals that represent historical cycles. According to this idea, every civilization reaches a point where it can no longer sustain its core values, leading to destruction and the birth of a new age.

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B. Symbolism and Imagery Explained in the Video

1. The Falcon and the Falconer

The video explains that the falcon flying beyond the falconer’s control symbolizes:

• Loss of authority

• Breakdown of tradition

• Disconnection between leadership and society

This image becomes a metaphor for a world where moral guidance has disappeared.

2. “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold”

The lecture emphasizes this as the core line of the poem, summarizing modern chaos. The “centre” represents religion, ethics, and shared values. Its collapse results in violence, confusion, and spiritual emptiness.

3. The “Blood-dimmed Tide”

The video links this phrase directly to:

• War violence

• Mass death

• Loss of innocence

The imagery suggests that violence has become so overwhelming that it drowns purity and moral clarity.

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C. The Anti-Christian Vision of the Second Coming

A major focus of the video is Yeats’s subversion of Christian expectations. Instead of Christ’s return bringing peace, Yeats imagines a terrifying creature:

• A sphinx-like beast

• “Blank and pitiless as the sun”

• Moving toward Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ

The lecture explains that this suggests:

• The end of the Christian era

• The birth of a harsh, inhuman new age

• Renewal through destruction rather than salvation

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D. Critical Insight from the Video

The video concludes that The Second Coming is not a prediction of a single event but a symbolic vision of recurring historical crises. Yeats presents history as cyclical, not progressive, challenging the idea that humanity naturally improves over time.

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II. Detailed Analysis of Online Class Video on On Being Asked for a War Poem

2. 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.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/I0eIBObJ7Ys

A. Context and Poet’s Dilemma

The lecture explains that Yeats was asked to write a poem supporting or responding to World War I. Unlike poets such as Wilfred Owen or Rupert Brooke, Yeats refuses to glorify or directly depict war.

The video highlights Yeats’s belief that:

• Poetry cannot influence political decisions

• Poets should not act as propagandists

• Art must remain spiritually autonomous

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B. Silence as a Poetic Strategy

The lecturer draws attention to Yeats’s deliberate tone of restraint and silence. When Yeats says:

“I think it better that in times like these

A poet’s mouth be silent…”

the video explains this as:

• A rejection of emotional manipulation

• A defense of poetry’s moral integrity

• A modernist rejection of Romantic idealism

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C. Modernist Aesthetic Explained

The video contrasts Yeats with traditional war poets:

• War poetry often uses vivid imagery to evoke sympathy

• Yeats avoids graphic detail and emotional appeal

The lecturer interprets this as Yeats’s belief that poetry should address timeless human truths, not temporary political events.

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D. Critical Insight from the Video

The lecture concludes that the poem is:

• A meta-poem (a poem about poetry)

• A philosophical statement on artistic responsibility

• An example of modernist self-consciousness

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III. Detailed Understanding of the Hindi Podcast on Both Poems

Podcast Link: https://youtu.be/jAaWDvA2Gt4

A. Accessibility and Pedagogical Approach

The Hindi podcast plays a crucial role in:

• Making complex modernist poetry accessible

• Explaining symbolism in culturally relatable terms

• Bridging Western modernist ideas with Indian philosophical thought

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B. Hindi Interpretation of The Second Coming

The podcaster explains the poem using terms such as:

• अराजकता (anarchy)

• नैतिक पतन (moral decline)

• सभ्यता का अंत (end of civilization)

The gyre is explained as:

• इतिहास का चक्र (cycle of history)

• जहाँ एक व्यवस्था टूटती है और दूसरी जन्म लेती है

The “rough beast” is interpreted as:

• अमानवीय शक्ति (inhuman force)

• युद्ध, तानाशाही, या नैतिक शून्यता का प्रतीक

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C. Hindi Interpretation of On Being Asked for a War Poem

The podcast emphasizes Yeats’s belief that:

• कविता प्रचार नहीं है

• कवि का कार्य आत्मा की रक्षा करना है

The podcaster highlights how Yeats’s silence is not cowardice but ethical resistance.

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D. Comparative Insight Offered by the Podcast

The Hindi explanation compares Yeats to:

• Traditional युद्ध कवि (war poets)

• Modern चिंतनशील कवि (reflective modern poets)

It explains that Yeats:

• Responds to war philosophically, not emotionally

• Focuses on long-term cultural consequences

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IV. Comparative Interpretation: Poems + Podcast + Lectures

Aspect	The Second Coming	On Being Asked for a War Poem
Core Concern	Collapse of civilization	Role of poetry in war
Tone	Apocalyptic, prophetic	Calm, reflective
Use of War	Indirect, symbolic	Philosophical rejection
Poet’s Role	Visionary prophet	Ethical observer
Podcast Emphasis	Moral decay	Artistic responsibility

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V. Concluding Reflection 

Together, the video lectures and Hindi podcast deepen our understanding of Yeats as a modernist poet responding to crisis without offering false hope. The Second Coming presents a terrifying vision of historical rebirth through destruction, while On Being Asked for a War Poem defends poetry’s spiritual independence from political pressure.

The Hindi podcast successfully demystifies these complex ideas, making Yeats’s symbolic language and philosophical depth accessible to Indian learners while preserving the poems’ intellectual seriousness.

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