The Oxford Union | Celebrating 200 years of free speech

Oxford Union on Twitter: @OxfordUnion

ABOUT THE OXFORD UNION SOCIETY: The Oxford Union is the world's most prestigious debating society, with an unparalleled reputation for bringing international guests and speakers to Oxford. Since 1823, the Union has been promoting debate and discussion not just in Oxford University, but across the globe.

[Bad.Pappy.Official]

I am extremely grateful for the Oxford Union’s uncompromising position on maintaining free speech. Thank you for being a beacon of hope, proper discourse, and progress in this ever-changing world.

[Shivam-vctq]

Free speech is what makes a civilization

[ryanjofre]

Always appreciate you guys OxfordUnion.
God Speed.

[SwitzerlandEducation]

"Never Give All the Heart" by W.B. Yeats is a poem that offers a cautionary perspective on the nature of love and relationships. At its core, the poem warns against giving oneself completely in love, arguing that the passion and excitement of initial love can quickly fade away, leaving one vulnerable to heartbreak. Instead, Yeats suggests that holding back a part of oneself can help maintain the intensity and intrigue of the relationship.

One of the most interesting aspects of the poem is its use of gendered language. Yeats specifically addresses passionate women in the poem, suggesting that they are the ones who require the thrill of the chase to keep love exciting. This gendered perspective is reflective of the cultural norms of Yeats' time, which often placed men in the position of power and women as passive recipients of male affection. However, it is important to note that Yeats is not advocating for a misogynistic view of love; rather, he is pointing out the ways in which societal expectations can impact our understanding of what it means to love and be loved.

Another important aspect of the poem is its use of metaphor. Yeats compares love to a kind of play, suggesting that those who give their hearts up to the game may not be able to play it well enough if they are deaf and dumb and blind with love. This metaphor underscores the idea that love is a complex and often unpredictable phenomenon, one that requires a certain level of detachment and strategy to navigate successfully.

It is worth noting the tone of melancholy reflection that pervades the poem. Yeats speaks from a place of experience, suggesting that he himself has given all his heart and lost it. This lends a sense of credibility to his cautionary advice, as he speaks not from a place of theoretical knowledge but from personal experience.

• 100 selected poems of W. B. Yeats

[SallyAlexandriaAlexParakeets]

Greetings from California. Great videos, Oxford Union team. Happy holidays from our channel: Australian Parakeets Stars*Prince Alexander

[God-dtom]

Judging by the quality of your students at the Ben Shapiro debate I’m very concerned about where Oxford and most universities are heading, seems that the brightest of us are not that bright, I’ve witnessed better debates in our local high schools. It seems college/university life now is where common sense goes to die.

[ThatGuyNicho]

>Oxford Union
>Free speech

Hahahaha! Pull the other one.

[C-Farsene_]

Ah yes, the few channels in youtube that have such a diverse audience

[pepryan]

Was that Katie Hopkins's voiceover at the start and towards the end? The one disembodied voice in this video?

[JoseighBlogs]

But, you have sought to close the mouth of a certain women wanting to speak freely about what the nature of her womanhood was ~ at least to say it freely within the Oxford Union debating chamber. Have you succeeded?

[roystonboodoo]

Why/ how is Pelosi in this cast re .. free speech .

[TariqMahmood-pzv]

OXFORD CHANCELLOR ELECTION:
IMRAN KHAN VOTERS must adopt this strategy:
There is around 250000 Oxford alumni that may vote for selecting the University Chancellor. All those who love IK must, on twitter, express their concern upon the Oxford giving in to pressure to oust IK from the candidate list for the position of Chancellor. If there may be a counting of such tweets, it would be in itself voting for IK. This must be a worldwide campaign. Both Oxford Uni., and IK must be tagged in their tweets. Definitely, it is the Indian as well corrupt generals of Pakistan lobbying against IK in this election..

[xd]

I'm all for free speech but you really should have drawn the line at the bs that dribbled out of Terrence Howard's mouth.

[diamandidimitrov]

ОТ ВСИЧКИТЕ ИСТОРИИ
СЪБРАНИ ПРИ ВАС

КОЙ СЪС КАКВО РАЗПОЛАГА
ЗА ДА СЕ СПРЕ СЪС
ТОВА КОЕТО ЦЯЛОТО
ЧОВЕЧЕСТТВО ВИЖДА

[ndgoscoop]

Who else is here just to comment on the mia Khalifa speech 🥴🥴🥴

[jayclarke]

How boring! Glad I'm living on the coast of Spain.

[TariqMahmood-pzv]

OXFORD CHANCELLOR ELECTION:
IMRAN KHAN VOTERS must adopt this strategy:
There is around 250000 Oxford alumni that may vote for selecting the University Chancellor. All those who love IK must, on twitter, express their concern upon the Oxford giving in to pressure to oust IK from the candidate list for the position of Chancellor. If there may be a counting of such tweets, it would be in itself voting for IK. This must be a worldwide campaign. Both Oxford Uni., and IK must be tagged in their tweets. Definitely, it is the Indian as well corrupt generals of Pakistan lobbying against IK in this election...