Hsc English - Module B - Yeats Poems - 1089 Words

Yeats Conflict Essay Conflict is the basis of all human interaction and hence is an integral part of human life. Through ambiguous yet comprehensive treatment of conflict W. B. Yeats has ensured that his works stand the test of time and hence have remained ‘classics’ today. Through my critical study I have recognised that Yeats’ poems Easter 1916 and The Second Coming are no exception. Yeats’ poetic form, language and use of poetic techniques; such as juxtaposition, allusion, and extended metaphors, alert audiences to both the inner and physical conflict that are the foundations of both poems. It is through this treatment of conflict that supplies audiences with the ability to individualise the reading and hence engage a broad range of†¦show more content†¦In the first stanza Yeats expresses his conflicting loathing and admiration for modernity through the juxtaposition of â€Å"vivid faces† and â€Å"grey houses†. This represents the possibilities that m odernity can bring; the revitalising of the community or the destruction of tradition and age old energy already lost by the modifications in the city. The repetition of the phrase â€Å"A terrible beauty is born† in the first and fourth stanzas articulate this inner turmoil revolving around modernity. This oxymoronic declaration is emphasised throughout the text by Yeats’ confusion towards the rebellion and its necessity. The fourth stanza embodies this conflict, removing the previously represented idea that life in pre-rebellion Ireland was a â€Å"casual comedy†, alluding to an Elizabethan play where the characters were content. By asking the rhetoric questions â€Å"was it needless death† and â€Å"O when may [British rule] suffice?† Yeats parallels the unresolved contradiction of â€Å"terrible beauty†. However, this sensitive treatment of conflict allows the retainment of ambiguity and can be related to any change within life, hence a llowing audiences to superimpose their own beliefs and ideas into the poem. Yeats continues to explore his aversion towards modernism in The Second Coming with the appointment of a new â€Å"gyre† standing as the symbol for a new age. The fear of