Analysis of 'The Second Coming'

The video provides an analysis of W.B. Yeats' poem 'The Second Coming', written in 1919. It explores the poem's themes of chaos, change, and the end of the world, set against the backdrop of post-World War I and the Russian Revolution. The poem's vivid imagery and symbolism, such as the falcon and falconer, the widening gyre, and the rough beast, are discussed in detail. The video also delves into the historical and cultural context of the poem, highlighting Yeats' shift from spiritual beliefs to the occult. The analysis concludes with a reflection on the poem's enduring relevance and its portrayal of a world in turmoil.

What year was 'The Second Coming' written?

• 1918

• 1919

• 1920

• 1921

In the poem, what does the falcon symbolize?

• Nature

• Chaos

• Man

• God

What does the 'widening gyre' represent in the poem?

• Stability

• Change

• Peace

• War

What is loosed upon the world according to the poem?

• Order

• Love

• Anarchy

• Peace

What does the 'blood-dimmed tide' symbolize?

• Innocence

• Destruction

• Hope

• Joy

What happens to the ceremony of innocence in the poem?

• It flourishes

• It is drowned

• It is celebrated

• It is ignored

How are the best people described in the poem?

• Full of conviction

• Lacking conviction

• Indifferent

• Passionate

What is the worst among us full of, according to the poem?

• Indifference

• Passionate intensity

• Calmness

• Fear

What biblical concept is referenced in the poem?

• Genesis

• Psalms

• Revelation

• Exodus

What does the 'second coming' refer to in the poem?

• The return of Jesus

• An apocalypse

• A new beginning

• A revelation