The Second Coming!!

[Brighthouse]

Turing and turning in the Widening Gyre
The Falcon cannot hear the falconer
things fall apart;the center will not hold;
Mere anarchy 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 Spirtus Mundi
troubles my sight:A waste of desert sand;
a shape with lion body and the head of a man,
a gaze blank as pitless as the sun,
is moving its slow thighs,while all about it
wind 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 has come round at last,
slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

This Poem was written in 1919 after the first World War. The writer of this poem was William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) Many have looked to understand this poem,I think most of you understand very well this poem!

For in times such as we have, that same beast who stuck its ugly head before,is doing so again. I am not a poet,nor do I read much of it.But for some strange reason the Lord had me go to this one! I hope it will cause you to do what it did for me. just think.I found this most intersting, and hope you did as well!! Blessing to you!

 

[HoneyBare]

Falcon

Right off, I am wondering what the 2nd line means, "The Falcon cannot hear the falconer". I'm not a reader of poetry either, so I couldn't begin to understand the rest of this poem, but my friend just had a falcon tattooed on her ankle, so i'm just curious.

 

[LilFishie]

Hmm very interesting. I haven't read any poems since highschool literature. The first two times I read this I've been pondering hard. The last paragraph though. It mentions beast. Is it talking about the anti christ? Or maybe I'm thinking in the wrong direction.... o.o

Hmm @Honeybare for the "Falcon cannot hear the Falconer" What came to me was the Falconer is who trains the Falcon to do his will or tames it. The Falcon not being able to hear the Falconer, maybe the Falcon lost connection with its tamer and therefore is back to being untamed to what it used to be which is being its wild nature.

That's just what I think anyways. I'm not entirely sure. ^^;

 

[Brighthouse]

Consider only, this possible meaning,for not being the poet,I can only consider it as well.The first 2 words that really struck me were Spirtus Mundi or the Spirit of the World.LilFishie is correct!!

The beast is the anichrist, as the Second coming refers to not Jesus, but that which arrives! What rough Beast that slouches towards Bethlehem.Jesus will of course not slouche, he will arrive in victory! As to Honeybare thought,those which hate and are in battle against good,cannot hear the Falconer, or that which is good.This could be the Lord himself,or those who have overcome until this very hour.This you must decide. After thinking greatly on this,in my humble opinion,I can come with only what I think Yeats is expressing unto a people who battle much, and listen much less. During World War One,I think Yeats was not just thinking about the end of this present war,but the War that is to come, not just of others,but of our own selves, and that this next battle with draw more darkness,then light from it. I heard a very wise saying this morning form the Lord in another. The words spoken mean so much, in so little. "We need to strengthen our understanding to avoid Misunderstanding!" Understanding is what to few have,because few see past themselves.To see past ourselves is to love,and in Love there is never fear! 1 john 4:18