The poem The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats is a wonderful and thought-provoking piece of poetry. Written in 1919, following the ordeal of the First World War, one of the deadliest struggles in human history, the poem embodies the uncertainty and anguish of a post-conflict world. Despite being penned over a century ago, the poem remains eerily relevant to this day. I find The Second Coming a poem that every generation should read to understand that turbulent times are always followed by an uncertain future.
The poem is skillfully written and structured, with the first stanza describing a world plunged into chaos, blood, and suffering, while the second introduces a non-Christian second coming and the arrival of a mythical beast. I particularly enjoy the inclusion of Egyptian tradition into the work. The Sphinx is a creature from Egyptian mythology considered a being of destruction. However, it is regarded as a guardian and ally of the God Ra and, therefore, as a server of the God of the Sun, does not destroy heedlessly. Thus, the arrival of a sphinx can be interpreted as both a sign of good and bad fortunes, depending on one’s standing. There is a sense of ambiguity to the arrival of the beast. The creature’s coming after twenty centuries of progress and accompanying annihilation is either a punishment or salvation for mankind. However, as it is impossible to know the purpose of the true beast’s arrival, the poem is profoundly menacing.
Overall, I relate to the poem on a personal level. Furthermore, I believe that many people today can connect to it due to the events of recent years experienced by the whole world. The COVID-19 pandemic, economic recession, worldwide political unrest, the looming environmental disaster, and, most recently, the threat of nuclear war are historical events filled with chaos and uncertainty that we all experience. Today, as humanity, we are all witnesses to impending changes without truly knowing what our second coming will bring.