When the Centre Cannot Hold: War, Chaos, and Moral Responsibility in W. B. Yeats’s Poetry
This blog is part of a thinking activity assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad Sir and explores W. B. Yeats’s poems The Second Coming and On Being Asked for a War Poem. Through video lectures, a Hindi podcast, critical analysis, creative writing, and comparison with other war poets, the blog examines Yeats’s modernist vision of war, moral disintegration, and the ethical responsibility of poetry in times of crisis.
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1) Video 1 Analysis
The Second Coming – W. B. Yeats
Introduction
According to the video lecture, The Second Coming is a powerful modern poem written in the aftermath of the First World War. Yeats expresses his deep anxiety about the condition of the modern world, where traditional values, religious faith, and moral order have collapsed. The poem reflects a historical moment marked by violence, political unrest, and spiritual confusion.
Collapse of Order and Civilization
The video explains that the central idea of the poem is the breakdown of social and moral order. Yeats captures this chaos in the line “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.” This suggests that the forces which once held society together have weakened. War, revolution, and moral decay have destroyed stability, leaving humanity directionless and divided.
Yeats’s Theory of Gyres
A key concept discussed in the video is Yeats’s theory of gyres, which explains history as moving in cycles. Each era grows, reaches its peak, and then collapses to give rise to another. The “widening gyre” in the poem symbolizes the present age moving away from control and harmony. As one historical cycle ends, a new one begins, often violently.
Loss of Spiritual Control
The image of the falcon losing contact with the falconer represents humanity’s separation from spiritual and moral guidance. According to the video, this metaphor shows how humans no longer listen to divine authority or ethical values. As a result, chaos and violence dominate the world.
The Rough Beast and Apocalyptic Vision
Instead of the hopeful Christian Second Coming, Yeats imagines a frightening “rough beast” slouching towards Bethlehem. The video emphasizes that this symbol represents a new age that is brutal and inhuman. Yeats replaces the idea of salvation with fear, suggesting that the future will be darker and more destructive.
Conclusion
As explained in the video, The Second Coming is a prophetic poem that warns readers about the collapse of civilization. Yeats presents a world on the edge of disaster, where moral confusion and violence dominate human life.
2) Video 2 Analysis
On Being Asked for a War Poem – W. B. Yeats
Introduction
The video explains that this poem was written when Yeats was asked to compose a patriotic poem during World War I. Rather than glorifying war, Yeats questions whether poetry should serve political or nationalistic purposes. The poem reflects his mature and thoughtful response to war.
Rejection of Patriotic War Poetry
According to the video, Yeats refuses to write a conventional war poem because he believes that such poetry often promotes false heroism. He argues that poetry cannot prevent war or change political decisions. Instead of emotional propaganda, he chooses honesty and restraint.
Focus on Human Suffering
The poem emphasizes the personal cost of war rather than public glory. Yeats refers to simple and painful images, such as an old wounded man, to show the suffering caused by conflict. The video highlights that Yeats values compassion and truth over national pride.
The Poet’s Moral Responsibility
The video stresses that Yeats believes a poet has a moral responsibility to remain truthful. He does not see poetry as a tool for encouraging violence. His refusal itself becomes a form of ethical protest against war.
Tone and Style
The poem is written in a calm and controlled tone. According to the video, this restraint reflects Yeats’s belief that silence and understatement can be more powerful than emotional exaggeration. The quiet voice of the poem contrasts sharply with loud patriotic slogans.
Conclusion
As explained in the video, On Being Asked for a War Poem presents Yeats as a poet who prioritizes humanity, truth, and moral integrity. He rejects the glorification of war and insists that poetry should reflect reality rather than political demands.
Overall Understanding
Together, as shown in both videos, these poems reveal Yeats’s deep concern about war, history, and the future of civilization. The Second Coming presents a global vision of chaos, while On Being Asked for a War Poem offers a personal and ethical response to violence.
Hindi Podcast
Poem 1: The Second Coming – W. B. Yeats
In the Hindi podcast, The Second Coming is explained as a poem that reflects Yeats’s deep fear and anxiety about the future of humanity. The speaker describes the poem as a response to a world shaken by war, violence, and moral breakdown. According to the podcast, the famous line “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold” shows how society has lost balance and control. Old beliefs, traditions, and religious values no longer guide people, resulting in chaos and confusion.
The podcast explains the image of the falcon and the falconer as symbolic of humans losing touch with moral and spiritual authority. The widening gyre represents increasing disorder in the modern world. Special emphasis is given to the “rough beast” slouching towards Bethlehem, which the speaker interprets as a symbol of a frightening new age. Instead of Christ bringing peace, a violent and soulless force is approaching. Overall, the podcast presents the poem as a prophetic warning about the collapse of civilization and the uncertain, dark future of humanity.
Poem 2: On Being Asked for a War Poem – W. B. Yeats
In the Hindi podcast, On Being Asked for a War Poem is discussed as Yeats’s calm but firm refusal to glorify war through poetry. The speaker explains that Yeats was asked to write a patriotic poem during World War I, but he chose not to support violence or nationalism. According to the podcast, Yeats believed that poetry should not be used as propaganda or emotional manipulation.
The podcast highlights that Yeats focuses on the human cost of war rather than heroism. By referring to simple images like suffering and wounded individuals, he shows the reality behind war. The poet feels that shouting slogans or praising sacrifice does not reduce pain or loss. His tone remains quiet and thoughtful, which the podcast interprets as a sign of maturity and moral responsibility. The poem suggests that a poet’s duty is to remain truthful and humane, not to encourage destruction.
Overall Understanding from the Podcast
According to the Hindi podcast, both poems reveal Yeats as a poet deeply concerned with humanity, history, and moral values. The Second Coming presents a global vision of chaos and fear, while On Being Asked for a War Poem offers a personal and ethical response to war. Together, they show that Yeats uses poetry to question violence, warn society, and uphold truth rather than comfort or glorify destruction.
Discussion Questions:
1.) How does Yeats use imagery to convey a sense of disintegration in The Second Coming?
Introduction
W. B. Yeats’s The Second Coming is a poem written in the aftermath of World War I, reflecting the poet’s deep anxiety about the state of the modern world. Yeats portrays a civilization in chaos, where political, social, and moral structures are collapsing. Through striking and symbolic imagery, he conveys a sense of disintegration, showing both the external turmoil in society and the internal spiritual confusion of humanity. The poem presents a prophetic vision of a world moving toward uncertainty and fear rather than order and stability.
Loss of Control and Order
Yeats begins the poem with the image of a falcon flying in a widening gyre and losing contact with the falconer. This symbolizes humanity’s separation from moral and spiritual authority. The widening spiral represents the increasing chaos in society, suggesting that the structures that once guided civilization are no longer effective. Through this image, Yeats conveys the sense that the world is spiraling out of control.
Violent and Apocalyptic Imagery
The poem uses vivid and shocking images such as the “blood-dimmed tide” and the drowning of the “ceremony of innocence.” These images depict both physical violence caused by war and revolution, as well as moral decay. The line “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold” emphasizes the collapse of social, political, and spiritual stability, reinforcing the theme of disintegration.
Inversion of Values
Yeats highlights the breakdown of moral order by contrasting “the best lack all conviction” with “the worst are full of passionate intensity.” This imagery portrays a world turned upside down, where virtuous people are powerless and destructive forces dominate. It emphasizes that the moral compass of society has disintegrated.
The Rough Beast and a Frightening Future
The image of the “rough beast” slouching towards Bethlehem is one of the most striking symbols of disintegration in the poem. Traditionally, Bethlehem represents hope and salvation, but Yeats replaces it with a dark, threatening force. As the beast slowly approaches, it symbolizes a terrifying new era that replaces order and peace with fear, violence, and uncertainty.
Conclusion
Through the use of these vivid and symbolic images, Yeats effectively conveys a world in collapse. The falcon, the blood-dimmed tide, the moral inversion, and the rough beast together create a powerful sense of societal, moral, and spiritual disintegration. The Second Coming presents a prophetic vision of a chaotic and uncertain future where traditional values and stability have crumbled.
2) Do you agree with Yeats’s assertion in On Being Asked for a War Poem that poetry should remain apolitical? Why or why not?
Introduction
In On Being Asked for a War Poem, W. B. Yeats responds to the public demand for patriotic poetry during World War I. Instead of glorifying war or stirring nationalist sentiment, Yeats refuses to write such a poem. He believes that poetry should remain true to human experience and moral reflection rather than serving political purposes. His stance raises an important question: should poetry remain apolitical, or is it acceptable for poets to use their art for political ends?
Yeats’s Argument for Apolitical Poetry
Yeats asserts that poetry should not be a tool of propaganda or political persuasion. According to him, a poet’s responsibility is to express truth, emotion, and ethical insight. In the poem, he emphasizes the human cost of war—suffering, fear, and vulnerability—rather than heroic patriotism. By focusing on reality instead of political excitement, Yeats ensures that poetry maintains its honesty and universality.
Why Apolitical Poetry is Important
I agree with Yeats’s assertion because poetry that serves political agendas often loses its subtlety, ethical integrity, and timeless appeal. Propaganda simplifies complex realities and manipulates emotions, whereas apolitical poetry reflects deeper human truths. Yeats’s approach demonstrates that poetry can be powerful and morally responsible when it observes reality, questions violence, and emphasizes human experience over nationalistic fervor.
Counterpoint: Poetry and Social Responsibility
Some might argue that poetry can influence public opinion and inspire change in times of injustice or oppression. While this is true, its effectiveness depends on the poet maintaining ethical honesty. Even politically engaged poetry succeeds only when it communicates universal truths rather than serving as mere propaganda.
Conclusion
Yeats’s insistence on apolitical poetry highlights the poet’s duty to truth, morality, and humanity. By remaining detached from political demands, poetry preserves its emotional depth, ethical purpose, and timeless relevance. On Being Asked for a War Poem demonstrates that the highest power of poetry lies in its ability to reflect human reality honestly rather than glorify power or politics.
Creative Activity:
Write a modernist-inspired poem reflecting on a contemporary global crisis, drawing on Yeats’s themes and techniques. [Generate with the help of Gen AI like ChatGPT or Google Gemini or Meta WhatsApp or Microsoft Co-pilot]
The Age of Falling Skies
The center cannot hold—
Cities drift like falcons in widening gyres,
Their glass towers trembling
Under the weight of unseen winds.
Smoke rises from oceans,
A tide of plastic and fire,
And the ceremony of silence
Drowns beneath the hum of dying machines.
The best we knew
Stand idle, uncertain,
While the worst surge forward
With fervent clicks and empty promises.
A rough beast prowls in the headlines,
Slouching through the feeds,
Not to Bethlehem, but to our screens,
Feeding fear in the hollow spaces
Where hope once whispered.
We clutch our masks,
Scroll our sorrows,
Counting the lost and the vanished,
As history pivots
And the old world tilts toward an uncharted dawn.
Techniques & Yeatsian Influence:
Imagery & Symbolism: Modern disasters (climate change, pandemics, technology) are depicted through symbolic “falcons,” “tides,” and the “rough beast.”
Apocalyptic Tone: Reflects a world in moral, social, and environmental disintegration.
Inversion of Values: Ordinary people are passive while destructive forces dominate, echoing The Second Coming.
Cyclical History / Modern Gyre: Suggests that human crises are part of ongoing historical spirals.
Analytical Exercise:
1. Compare the treatment of war in On Being Asked for a War Poem with other war poems by Wilfred Owen or Siegfried Sassoon.
Introduction
In On Being Asked for a War Poem, W. B. Yeats reflects on the role of poetry during war and refuses to glorify conflict. He emphasizes that poetry should remain truthful, ethical, and focused on human suffering rather than patriotic propaganda. In contrast, war poets like Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, who experienced World War I directly, portray the horrors of battle, exposing its physical, emotional, and moral consequences. Comparing Yeats with Owen and Sassoon highlights differences in perspective, tone, and technique while showing a shared concern for the human cost of war.
Yeats’s Treatment of War
Yeats treats war in a philosophical and reflective manner. He refuses to write patriotic or inspirational poetry, arguing that poetry cannot influence political events. Instead, he focuses on the human cost, suffering, and moral implications of war. The tone of his poem is calm and contemplative, prioritizing ethical responsibility and truth over dramatization or graphic detail. His approach is symbolic rather than descriptive, showing war as a moral and societal failure.
Wilfred Owen’s Treatment of War
Wilfred Owen depicts war from the soldier’s perspective, emphasizing its brutal realities. In poems like Dulce et Decorum Est, he uses graphic imagery of blood, gas attacks, and death to expose the physical and emotional horrors of battle. Owen’s tone is tragic, empathetic, and at times accusatory, challenging patriotic claims that war is noble. Unlike Yeats, Owen focuses on lived experience and the immediate suffering of individuals.
Siegfried Sassoon’s Treatment of War
Siegfried Sassoon combines satire, irony, and moral outrage to criticize military leadership and societal attitudes toward war. In poems like The General, he highlights the incompetence and callousness of officers, contrasting it with soldiers’ suffering. Sassoon’s tone is often bitter or sarcastic, emphasizing the absurdity and injustice of war. Like Owen, he deals with direct wartime experiences, but with a focus on political and social critique.
Comparison
Yeats writes as an observer, reflecting on the ethical and human dimensions of war, while Owen and Sassoon write from personal or near-personal experience. Yeats’s tone is contemplative and symbolic; Owen’s is tragic and vivid; Sassoon’s is bitter and ironic. All three share a condemnation of war, but their methods differ: Yeats emphasizes ethical reflection, Owen emphasizes soldiers’ suffering, and Sassoon emphasizes critique of leadership and social hypocrisy.
Conclusion
On Being Asked for a War Poem differs from Owen’s and Sassoon’s works in approach and tone, but all three illuminate the human cost of war. Yeats focuses on moral responsibility and the limits of poetry, Owen on the graphic reality of soldiers’ suffering, and Sassoon on social and military critique. Together, they provide a multifaceted literary response to the tragedy of war, reflecting modernist concerns with truth, ethics, and human experience.
References :
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387659837_WB_Yeats's_Poems_The_Second_Coming_-_-_On_Being_Asked_for_a_War_Poem
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