The Second Coming (Leaving Cert English): Flashcards
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Practise the cards
10 cards from this deck
What historical events influenced Yeats's poem in 1919?
What historical events influenced Yeats's poem in 1919?
The fall of empires and revolutions in Europe.
What theory did Yeats develop based on his occult interests?
What theory did Yeats develop based on his occult interests?
A cyclical theory of historical change in A Vision (1925).
How are gyres represented in Yeats's philosophy?
How are gyres represented in Yeats's philosophy?
As interpenetrating cones symbolizing historical forces.
What is the central theme of Yeats's 'The Second Coming'?
What is the central theme of Yeats's 'The Second Coming'?
A chaotic transition leading to a new world order.
What does the falcon represent in the first stanza?
What does the falcon represent in the first stanza?
A loss of civilization and a return to chaos.
What is the meaning of 'Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold'?
What is the meaning of 'Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold'?
Society is disintegrating and lacks stability.
What does the 'blood-dimmed tide' symbolize?
What does the 'blood-dimmed tide' symbolize?
The destruction of innocence and order.
What does the 'rough beast' represent?
What does the 'rough beast' represent?
The end of the Christian era and the rise of chaos.
How is the beast described in the poem?
How is the beast described in the poem?
As a horrifying hybrid of human and animal.
What does 'twenty centuries of stony sleep' refer to?
What does 'twenty centuries of stony sleep' refer to?
The long period before the Christian era's upheaval.