This poem by William Butler Yeats is a powerful meditation on the coming of a new era. It speaks of a time of chaos and destruction, but also of hope and renewal. The poem is written in a prophetic tone, as if Yeats is predicting a new age of spiritual awakening.
"The Second Coming" is a poem written by Irish poet William Butler Yeats in 1919, first printed in The Dial in November 1920 and included in his 1921 collection of verses Michael Robartes and the Dancer. The poem uses Christian imagery regarding the Apocalypse and Second Coming to describe allegorically the atmosphere of post-war Europe. It is considered a canonical work of modernist poetry and has been reprinted in several collections, including The Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry.