W.B.Yeats poems

 This task given by Dilip Bard sir. In this blogg task on W.B. Yeats poems. Let's begin.

In On Being Asked for a War Poem by W.B. Yeats and the war poems of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, the treatment of war differs significantly in tone, focus, and emotional impact. Here's a comparative analysis of their approaches:

Yeats – On Being Asked for a War Poem

Yeats expresses disdain for writing about war, emphasizing the futility of poetry in addressing the horrors of conflict. His poem reflects an anti-war sentiment, suggesting that poets should remain silent in the face of destruction. He views war as beyond the realm of artistic expression, stating

Yeats's tone is distant and resigned. He refuses to glorify or romanticize war, focusing instead on the limitations of poetry in influencing political outcomes or easing suffering.

Wilfred Owen – War Poems

Wilfred Owen’s poetry, such as Dulce et Decorum Est and Anthem for Doomed Youth, presents a stark and graphic portrayal of war’s brutality. His poems are deeply personal and filled with vivid imagery, conveying the physical and psychological horrors soldiers faced. In contrast to Yeats's reluctance to write about war, Owen believes it is the poet’s duty to reveal the truth about warfare

For example, in Dulce et Decorum Est, Owen challenges the patriotic idea that it is sweet and noble to die for one’s country, exposing the lie behind such rhetoric through harrowing imagery of a gas attack.

Siegfried Sassoon – War Poems

Like Owen, Sassoon’s war poems are critical of the glorification of war. His works, such as The General and Suicide in the Trenches, condemn the incompetence of military leaders and highlight the suffering of soldiers. Sassoon’s tone is often bitter and satirical, using irony to expose the cruelty and absurdity of war.

In Suicide in the Trenches, Sassoon writes about a young soldier driven to suicide by the harsh conditions of trench warfare. He blames the public and politicians for their ignorance and blind support of the war

Comparison

• Yeats is detached and resigned, refusing to engage with war in his poetry.

• Owen is compassionate and sorrowful, focusing on the pity of war.

• Sassoon is angry and bitter, aiming to provoke outrage.

• Yeats rejects the idea that poetry can impact war.

• Owen believes poetry can expose the horrors of war.

• Sassoon uses poetry as a tool for protest and social criticism

• Yeats avoids graphic descriptions.

• Owen uses vivid, brutal imagery to depict suffering.

• Sassoon employs both realistic and satirical imagery to criticize war leaders and public attitudes.

Conclusion:

Yeats distances himself from the subject of war, seeing poetry as ineffective in confronting political issues, whereas Owen and Sassoon use their poetry as powerful tools to reveal the realities of war

2. Write a modernist-inspired poem reflecting on a contemporary global crisis, drawing on Yeats’s themes and techniques

Turning in the Gyre

(A Modernist Reflection on Climate Crisis, Inspired by W.B. Yeats)

Forests flare like prophecies foretold,

And the skies bleed heat where hope resides.

What rough beast stirs in the warming dawn?

Not myth, but smoke, and oil’s black stain.

Progress marches, blindly drawn,

Trailing deserts in its vain refrain.

The falconer calls, but none can hear—

The air choked thick with unyielding haze.

What once was clear now breeds fear,

Lost in modernity’s wild, endless maze.

We build our towers of steel and glass,

Yet roots wither beneath our feet.

The old gods whisper as we pass:

Cycles end, and death repeats.

Somewhere, a child sees the flood rise,

Watches fields drown in salted tears.

What second coming will arise

To quell our spiraling, ancient fears?

Surely, a shape waits in the dark,

Born of fire, water, wind, and earth—

Not beast, but change to leave its mark,

A painful birth of a new world’s worth.

The gyre spins, as Yeats once knew,

Yet in its spiral, we find the clue:

The past returns in every age.

3. Do you agree with Yeats’s assertion in 'On Being Asked for a War Poem' that poetry should remain apolitical? Why or why not?

I disagree with Yeats’s assertion in "On Being Asked for a War Poem" that poetry should remain apolitical. While Yeats believed that poetry should not directly engage with political matters, arguing that a poet's role is to explore timeless human emotions rather than the temporary conflicts of the world, this stance is limiting.

Poetry has always been a powerful tool for social and political commentary. From ancient epics like Homer’s Iliad, which reflects on war and leadership, to the works of modern poets like Audre Lorde and Seamus Heaney, poetry has often responded to political crises. Poetry provides a unique lens through which people can process the complexities of their world, offering both critique and hope.

Yeats himself contradicted this belief. His poems like "Easter, 1916" and "The Second Coming" reflect deeply on political turmoil. These works show that even when a poet claims to remain detached, politics inevitably seeps into the art, especially during times of crisis. Poetry cannot exist in a vacuum—it's shaped by the poet’s context.

In contemporary society, with global issues like climate change, war, and social injustice, poets have a moral obligation to engage with the world around them. Remaining silent or apolitical in the face of such crises can be seen as complicity. Poetry offers a way to make sense of chaos, give voice to the marginalized, and inspire change.

4. How does Yeats use imagery to convey a sense of disintegration in 'The Second Coming'?

In "The Second Coming," Yeats uses powerful, apocalyptic imagery to convey a sense of disintegration and chaos in the modern world. The poem depicts a world falling apart, both spiritually and politically, reflecting Yeats’s belief that society was entering a period of collapse and transformation.

1. The falcon and the falconer:

"Turning and turning in the widening gyre / The falcon cannot hear the falconer."

The falcon represents humanity or civilization, while the falconer symbolizes control, tradition, or moral authority. The image of the falcon flying out of control suggests that society has lost its moral compass, spiraling further into chaos.

2. The widening gyre

The gyre symbolizes a historical cycle or spiral. The widening of the gyre suggests that the world is moving toward disintegration and cannot sustain its current structure. This image reflects Yeats’s belief in cyclical history, where each era ends in destruction before a new era is born.

3. Blood-dimmed tide

This violent, chaotic image conveys a world overwhelmed by violence and destruction. The rising tide of blood represents wars, revolutions, and moral decay, drowning innocence and purity in the process

4. The rough beast

The creature’s slow, ominous movement suggests inevitable doom and the arrival of a destructive force that will replace the current disintegrating world order.

My Refferance:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387659837_WB_Yeats's_Poems_The_Second_Coming_-_-_On_Being_Asked_for_a_War_Poem

http://www.oiirj.org/oiirj/july2015-special-issue/53.pdf

https://www.studocu.com/in/messages/question/5452191/use-a-imagery-in-the-second-coming