'The Second Coming' by William Butler Yeats Analysis

"The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats Analysis
Lecture by Colin Shanafelt, Professor of English, (Austin, Texas)

[naomidavies]

this guy is full of passionate intensity!!!

[lalosalazar]

I actually thought the lecture was great. This is one of my favorite poems, and I always enjoy reading articles or hearing lectures about it. To be sure, every scholar has his or her own fascinating interpretation, and I felt the lecturer provided some insights I had never heard before. Well done!

[kr]

IRISH literature NOT British! Yeats worked so hard to identify as Irish, but he was born English. But this is Yeats and part of the Irish Literary Renaissance.

[corettaha]

I’ve noticed that anyone who takes action of any kind is automatically considered bad. I loved it when you said “it’s the SPHYNX! COMING TO LIIIFE!”

[shwersngs]

I'm studying this and found it really difficult to understand before I came here. Thanks for your help, you have made me really appreciate the poem!

[GatsbysLight]

Richard McWilliams, perhaps the term British is used a bit too loosely in one place, but you should certainly watch the entire video before you comment. Yeats' spirituality is examined in some depth and never is he described as "Christian."

[MaddieeBee]

I am hoping I get a question on this poem in my exam now, this has helped so much!! Would be great if you could do this for more of Yeats' poetry!

[turockandar]

Very interesting thanks for your insight and knowledge...I love this poem but never studies it formally.

[pirate]

It is not British literature, it is Irish literature, written in English yes but Yeats was an Irishman. Britian refers to the island that is comprised of England, Scotland, and Wales, and each of those countries has its own literature, Ireland is a seperate country. Also Yeats was not what you would call a Christian

[jamesstaiti]

Yeats might have called himself an esoteric or gnostic Christian. I believe that some aspects of the poem reflect his justified disapproval of Alexander "Aleister" Crowley.

[pirate]

Dont get me wrong, interesting post and thanks for it, just wanted to get the Irish thing right...

[woohoo]

YouTube is about right for your knowledge of literature.