Yeats, William Butler - Poetry

William Butler Yeats

Symbolism of Yeats characterize his poem. Something visionary to evoke precise emotions. Image of his secret Joyce represents secret life, experience of modern people. The intention is reveal what a secret life was.

Falcon is an image used by Yeats, rapacity, violence, out of control. Swan: a free spirit, grace, duty. Philosophical interpretation, house what history is. Dark forces by tower of a castle. Ireland hunted by its past. Dancer: a female dancer of joyous knowledge, esthetic knowledge of philosophy.

According to him European history was a s two cones, one cone into the other. History passage from subjectivity to objectivity represented by the two cones and their movement is a spiritual one. This movement is what history is.

One cone is getting larger and larger the other little and little. They are following different direction. These cones represented subjectivity and objectivity. Subjectivity dominate objectivity.

People are lost in otherness; people think others, concentrated on the other. Subjectivity from others to himself. Great personality dominate during subjectivity. In an objectivity period there’s otherness, there are not great personalities. Look like is neighbor.

Time of Christ is period of objectivity. There’s a leader but you have to consider his position because he is at the same level of the other. Investigate what history is, is the intention of Yeats. In a chaotic period you can’t decide if is an objective or a negative one. Modern age is a chaotic period.

“Easter 1916”

The intention is not explained otherness and selfness. I met people, I didn’t distinguish the author and the other. There’s a specific period “close f day”, the darkness of the evening.

General view of Dublin and of people represented in their daily routine. “Them” talking about ordinary people, common people having a common job and the poet met them. Realistic description. Objective to describe people and the real landscape.

There’s no a relationship between the two. Very common situation, they live in the same place but they are not close friends. Familiar scene to stress the importance of the routine. Something is making them change.

Continuous repetition of the same thing but there’s something that change and makes the other different. Animals to reinforce the idea of a change, rapid and constant change but is not so natural in people is a negative aspect.

Fast and rapid change because stopped to live their routine. It’s different from the change of animals and cloud cause is natural. They pretend to be revolutionary people. Fighting in the revolution for freedom of Ireland.