'The Second Coming' Lesson Part Two - Discussion

[PeterOzanne]

It was nice to see this! I wish you all the best in life. I think Yeats is trying to shock us, confronting us with the state of the world (a mess), and contrasting that ironically with Jesus' hope for peace and love to break through that - which is not happening to a great enough degree. His own mystical wishes are included in the forces of light. The "worst" = Bush, CIA, Dictators? See the vid of Joni Mitchell's song, with pictures of Iraq war and Dubya. Find inner calm, any which way u can!

[UmHumaid]

Someone recently shared this poem with me, and this is the first time I come across Yeats. They said I would like it and didn't quite understand it nor fully appreciate it until now.

So, this was great, thanks for uploading. Enjoyed the class discussion very much.

[mossfitz]

Very late comment on your Yeats lesson -It would help a lot to remember that the Poem is also music - (though American poetry oftens eschews that element). The beats are heavy and the rythms are extremely slow. Most of his poems are incantations.

[squidtropolis]

Mossfitz, could you explain a little more?