Yeats is a twentieth century modern
poet whose poetry is full of symbols and imagery. Symbolism in
literature is a device which the writers use to convey deeper meanings of
the words beyond their literal meanings. Though Ezra Pound is regarded
as the grandfather of symbolist movement and Thomas Hulme is known as
the father of imagism yet William Butler Yeats’ use of symbols and imagery has
won wide acclaim all over the world. His symbols can easily be divided into two
categories e.g., conventional and private.
Conventional symbols can be distinguished from
the private ones on the ground that the former are more general and
carry common meanings based on shared cultural knowledge whereas the latter are
more particular to a poem’s specific context or a peculiar group of
people sharing certain knowledge or beliefs. Hence, Yeats’ poetry is replete
with both the types of symbols which not only produce a meaningful image in the
reader’s mind but also endow depth to understanding and facilitate
comprehension at the same time.
William Butler Yeats’ most appreciated poem ‘The Second Coming’ opens with the description of deterioration, disintegration and erosion through the image of a widening ‘Gyre’.
“Turning and turning in the widening gyre,
The falcon cannot hear the falconer,
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.”
‘Gyre’ is essentially a private symbol
which suggests a natural source of destruction. This rare symbol is
immediately followed by a set of conventional symbols. ‘Falcon’ being a
familiar symbol represents humanity and ‘Falconer’ conventionally
symbolizes Prophet Jesus Christ. Yeats has employed these symbols to expound
that people of modern age have forgotten the teachings of Christ. Hence, they
have neglected the golden principle of spirituality and are hankering after
sensual pleasures. As a result, their societal setup has fallen apart because
the ‘Centre’, which represents religious institutions, has failed to
hold them together. The poet is sure of an apocalypse in near future therefore,
he predictably announces;
“Surely some revelation is at hand,
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.”
Yeats has used another conventional
symbol ‘The Second Coming’ which signifies an Apocalypto i.e., a new
beginning. Hardly these words had come out of his mouth that his heart went
wild and his Spiritus Mundi (Spiritual world of man, a source of
images and symbols) produced a horrible image of a lion with man’s head and
plenty of birds hovering over it. In fact, this slowly approaching beast
with its pitiless gaze is a symbolic representation of arrival of an anti-Christ
era which heralds ultimately an apocalyptic world.
Similarly, Yeats’ famous poem ‘Sailing
to Byzantium’ manifests rich use of variety of symbols which render deeper
understanding to the readers. The poet expresses his ultimate desire to leave
Ireland because the young people are;
“In one another's arms, birds in the trees,
—Those dying generations—at their song.”
The poet makes ‘Bird’ the metonymy
of all creatures of this world. He laments over the loss of spirituality and
spiritual institutions of his country. People are hankering after sexual
pleasures and have no regard for the old men e.g., the poet. Therefore, he
uttered with a heavy heart;
“An aged man is but a paltry thing,
A tattered coat upon a stick, unless
Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing.”
However, for spiritual
enlightenment, he suggests a complete migration to ‘Byzantium’ which is
famous as a holy city of saints in Turkey. Then he implores to the saints;
“O sages standing in God's holy fire
As in the gold mosaic of a wall,
Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre.”
He beseeches the sages to be the singing masters of his soul which is sick with worldly desires. He hopes that this spiritual practice will make him immortal. As a result, he will be transformed into a golden bird;
“Or set upon a golden bough to sing,
To lords and ladies of Byzantium.”
The word ‘gold’ has been used
repeatedly which conventionally symbolizes purity, permanence and grandeur. Nevertheless,
Yeats has used phrases like ‘gold mosaic’, ‘hammered gold’, ‘gold
enameling’ in order to reveal that he is in pursuit of purity and the Grace of Holy
God to become immortal.
Yeats’ most appreciated poem ‘Easter
1916’ is a symbolic exposition of Irish rebellion against the
British rule in Ireland. The opening lines of this poem glorify the martyrs
who sacrificed for the freedom of their beloved country. The poet
says that he has often met with freedom fighters on their return from their
work places;
“From counter or desk among grey,
Eighteenth-century houses.”
‘Grey’ conventionally symbolizes
depression, gloom and war. These gloomy people were wearing motley i.e.,
colourful clothes meaning thereby that they had lost their identity. At last, fifteen
leaders stood for independence with their unshakeable determination which the
poet imperceptibly promulgates through a conventional symbol of stone;
“Hearts with one purpose alone,
Through summer and winter seem,
Enchanted to a stone.”
Finally, ferocious uprising (Monday,
April 24, 1916 - Saturday, April 29, 1916) started and continued for six
days in Dublin, Ireland. The rebels lost their precious lives but their
stony rebellion had won over the British colonization. To this effect, everywhere
grey and motley was replaced with ‘Green’ which conventionally
represents peace and rebirth but privately, as in this poem, symbolizes Irish
culture.
“Wherever green is worn,
Are changed, changed utterly:
A terrible beauty is born.”
The poem ends with an oxymoron
‘Terrible Beauty’ whose first element represents the violence and
bloodshed of the revolt and the last one stands for noble sacrifices of
the rebels.
To conclude, we may say that Yeats’ poetry contains symbols, images and rationalism which are enough to render him a modern poet. His modern poetry is a store house of conventional and private symbols.
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