William Butler Yeats - Poems

  This blog is a part of the study activity provided by the head of the Department of English (MKBU), Prof. and Dr. Dilip Barad Sir. Here is the link to the research article here.

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:

The treatment of war in poetry often varies depending on the poet's personal experiences, ideological stance, and the broader social context in which they write. In W.B. Yeats' On Being Asked for a War Poem, the poet expresses a philosophical detachment from the conflict, suggesting that poets have little to contribute in times of war. He implies that poetry cannot effectively challenge or alter the harsh political realities of war. In contrast, Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, both of whom fought in World War I, offer deeply emotional, critical portrayals of war that expose its brutality and the lies surrounding it. While Owen's Dulce et Decorum Est vividly condemns the romanticization of dying for one's country, Sassoon's The Hero critiques the myths of heroism that are often perpetuated by the military and society to comfort the families of fallen soldiers. This essay will compare Yeats' more contemplative, distant treatment of war with Owen and Sassoon's firsthand, visceral critiques, examining how each poet approaches the theme of war, their respective tones, and the emotional or intellectual impact of their work.

1. Yeats' "On Being Asked for a War Poem"

Yeats’ approach to the theme of war is largely abstract and intellectual. The poem reflects his belief that, during times of war, the role of the poet should be one of silence rather than active engagement. He implies that poetry cannot correct the errors or false narratives of statesmen or the broader public. His response to the request for a war poem is skeptical and dismissive, suggesting that poets should not "meddle" in the affairs of the state, nor should they glorify the experiences of war.

Key Points:

• Tone: The tone of Yeats’ poem is contemplative and resigned. He suggests that poets lack the authority to engage in political or social commentary effectively, particularly about war, a theme that is too complex for artistic intervention.
• Philosophical Distance: Yeats distances himself from the romanticization of war or even its critique. He seems to feel that no poetic response could adequately capture or address the situation, choosing instead to remain silent in a time of conflict.
• Role of the Poet: Yeats reflects on the poet’s role in society, suggesting that the poet should retreat from war’s fervor, perhaps because the poet’s words cannot amend the harsh realities of warfare or change the minds of those who are entangled in it.

2. Owen’s Dulce et Decorum Est

In stark contrast to Yeats' silence, Wilfred Owen takes a direct, explicit stance against the glorification of war. Dulce et Decorum Est is a graphic and unflinching critique of the idealized notions of warfare, especially the romanticized idea that it is “sweet and fitting” to die for one's country. Owen’s poem describes the brutal realities of trench warfare, focusing on the physical, mental, and emotional toll it takes on soldiers.

Key Points:

• Tone: Owen’s tone is angry, bitter, and graphic. His descriptions of war are vivid and horrifying, using stark imagery to convey the true horrors of battle.
• Graphic Imagery: Owen pulls no punches in depicting the gruesome effects of war. The line "As under a green sea, I saw him drowning" portrays a soldier choking to death from poison gas, creating a visceral, haunting image of the futility and cruelty of war.
• Purpose: Owen’s goal is to expose the brutal reality of war and to disabuse any reader of the idealistic, patriotic rhetoric that glorifies death in battle. His poem directly addresses the “old lie” of the patriotic slogan "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori."

3. Sassoon’s The Hero

Siegfried Sassoon's The Hero similarly critiques the glorification of war, but it does so in a different way. The poem portrays the interaction between a grieving mother and the officer who must inform her of her son's death. Sassoon exposes the lie of heroic sacrifice by revealing that the young soldier Jack was actually cowardly and tried to avoid combat, which contradicts the myth that he died bravely for his country.

Key Points:

• Tone: The tone of Sassoon’s poem is ironic and critical. The officer tells the mother a series of lies about her son’s bravery, and this hypocrisy is underscored by the mother’s misguided pride.
• Subversion of Heroism: Sassoon critiques the myth of the heroic soldier, revealing the cowardice of Jack and contrasting this with the mother’s misguided joy in her son’s supposed heroism. "Jack fell as he'd have wished" is an ironic and painful line, emphasizing the conflict between the mother’s comforting illusion and the reality of her son's death.
• The Officer's Perspective: The officer’s internal monologue reveals the truth about Jack's actions in battle—he panicked, tried to escape, and ultimately died in a way that was far from heroic. Sassoon’s poem critiques the institutionalized lie of heroism, exposing how society, particularly military leaders, perpetuate such myths to comfort the families of soldiers and uphold morale.

Comparison of the Themes:

1. Glorification vs. Reality of War:

   • Yeats remains distant from the issue of war and does not engage in glorifying or condemning it directly. He leaves the question of the poet’s role in a time of war unresolved, choosing silence as his response.
   • Owen directly critiques the glorification of war, presenting a stark portrayal of its horrors. The poem is not just a depiction of the grim reality of war but also a direct refutation of the "old lie" that dying for one’s country is noble.
   • Sassoon, like Owen, critiques the idea of war heroism but through the lens of personal interaction—showing how the comforting lies told to the grieving mother contrast with the actual cowardice of her son. Sassoon’s poem highlights the emotional manipulation of the families left behind.

2. Role of the Poet:

   • Yeats feels that poets should not involve themselves in political or war-related issues. In On Being Asked for a War Poem, he expresses his belief that poetry cannot change the course of war or affect public sentiment on such matters. He does not consider himself the voice of protest or political commentary in this instance.
   • Owen and Sassoon both use their poetry to bear witness to the truth of war, to expose its futility, and to challenge the narratives created by those who glorify it. They see their role as one of revealing the harsh reality of warfare, using their personal experiences to create art that condemns the violence and propaganda surrounding the conflict.

3. Emotional Impact:

   • Yeats’ poem is reflective and philosophical. It seeks to explore the poet’s disillusionment with the idea of a "war poem" rather than to provoke a visceral response in the reader. The emotional impact is less immediate, as the poem focuses on the futility of war poetry in a time of crisis.
   • Owen creates a deeply emotional and physical reaction through his detailed, disturbing descriptions of death and suffering. The reader feels the horror of the gas attack, the pain of the soldiers, and the devastation of war.
   • Sassoon evokes an emotional reaction through irony and personal tragedy. The reader is forced to confront the gulf between the mother’s idealism and the officer’s truth, producing a sense of anger and disillusionment with the institutionalized lies of wartime.

4. Message about War:

   • Yeats doesn’t offer a direct critique of war itself but rather questions the ability of poetry to address or change the larger political forces at work. He suggests that poets should remain silent in the face of such complex issues.
   • Owen delivers a scathing critique of the glorification of war and aims to dismantle the notion that death for one’s country is noble. His poem serves as a powerful protest against war.
   • Sassoon offers a critique of the ways in which war heroism is often fabricated to comfort the families of the fallen. He critiques the military and societal institutions that perpetuate these lies, undermining the myth of the soldier’s noble sacrifice.

Conclusion

The treatment of war in On Being Asked for a War Poem, Dulce et Decorum Est, and The Hero shows the varying ways in which poets can engage with the subject of war. While Yeats remains detached, contemplating the role of the poet in wartime, Owen and Sassoon directly confront the brutal realities of war, challenging the romanticized view of heroism and sacrifice. Owen’s work is uncompromising in its graphic depiction of the horrors of war, while Sassoon uses irony and personal reflection to critique the comforting lies told to grieving families. Together, these poems represent different approaches to the same central theme: the tension between the reality of war and the myths that society constructs around it.

2. Write a modernist-inspired poem reflecting on a contemporary global crisis, drawing on Yeats’s themes and techniques. [Generate with the help of Gen AIlike ChatGPT or Google Gemini or Meta WhatsApp or Microsoft Co-pilot].

The Silence of Our Time

The voices rise, like smoke, and vanish
Into screens that glow with fractured light.
A child’s face stares from behind the glass,
Eyes wide with questions no one can answer.
The earth trembles beneath the weight
Of half-remembered promises,
A generation adrift in the ruins of a future
They never chose to build.

Wars of words, wars of borders,
While oceans drown the soil of hope.
The world spins faster, chasing itself,
We are moving backwards,
Strangers in a land we've forgotten.

I’ve seen the smoke from my window,
Like a dream of old gods clashing,
And thought: What is the poet’s place
In this age of ruin and decay?
To speak, perhaps, or stand in silence,
For we have no gift to set the state right.

We wait for the answers
That never come.
For the children, the trees, the seas,
All will bear the weight of this grief
While we sit at our screens,
Chasing the ghosts of something
We once called the future.

Explanation:

This modernist-inspired poem draws on Yeats’s themes of silence, detachment, and the disillusionment with the power of poetry to change the course of history. Just as Yeats wrestled with the impact of war and societal upheaval in his time, this poem reflects on a contemporary global crisis — climate change, political instability, and societal fragmentation — through a detached, fragmented lens that is characteristic of modernist writing. The poem emphasizes the feeling of helplessness in the face of these issues, with the speaker questioning the role of the poet in addressing global crises. The references to "smoke," "ruins," and "chasing ghosts" evoke a sense of collapse and loss, while the recurring motif of "silence" hints at the disillusionment Yeats often expressed, suggesting that perhaps silence is the only truthful response in a world too far gone to be fixed.

3. Do you agree with Yeats’s assertion in 'On Being Asked for a War Poem' that poetry should remain apolitical? Why or why not?

W.B. Yeats's poem "On Being Asked for a War Poem" reflects his belief that poetry should remain apolitical. He writes, "I think it better that in times like these / A poet's mouth be silent, for in truth / We have no gift to set a statesman right." 

Yeats suggests that poets lack the influence to guide political decisions and should focus on personal or aesthetic subjects instead.

However, the role of poetry in politics is a subject of ongoing debate. Many poets and scholars argue that poetry can serve as a powerful medium for political expression and social critique. For instance, political poetry has been used to discuss societal inequities and challenge injustices.

Additionally, poetry has been employed in political activism, with poets using their work to protest against wars and oppressive regimes. For example, Russian poets have published their anger and dismay online against political situations in their country.

In conclusion, while Yeats preferred to keep poetry separate from politics, many believe that poetry can and should engage with political themes to reflect societal issues and inspire change. The decision to incorporate politics into poetry ultimately depends on the individual poet's perspective and the purpose they believe their art should serve.

For a deeper understanding of Yeats's perspective, you might find this reading of "On Being Asked for a War Poem" insightful:

4.  How does Yeats use imagery to convey a sense of disintegration in 'The Second Coming'?

In "The Second Coming," W.B. Yeats employs vivid and unsettling imagery to convey a profound sense of disintegration and chaos. Written in 1919, the poem reflects the turmoil of the post-World War I era and the onset of the Irish War of Independence, capturing the fragmentation of societal and spiritual structures.

1. The Gyre and Spiraling Chaos:

Yeats opens with the image of a falcon spiraling beyond the falconer's control:

"Turning and turning in the widening gyre"

This "widening gyre" symbolizes a world spinning into chaos, with traditional structures losing their coherence. The falcon's increasing distance from the falconer suggests a breakdown in communication and order, reflecting societal disintegration. 

2. Collapse of Order and Innocence:

The poem continues with stark declarations:

"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;  

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world"

These lines depict the collapse of central authority and the unleashing of chaos. The phrase "the ceremony of innocence is drowned" further emphasizes the loss of purity and moral integrity, suggesting that societal norms and virtues are being overwhelmed by disorder. 

3. The Apocalyptic Vision:

Yeats introduces a disturbing prophetic image:

"A shape with lion body and the head of a man,  A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun"

This monstrous figure, reminiscent of the Sphinx, embodies the emergence of a new, ominous era. Its "blank and pitiless" gaze suggests an indifferent force, heralding a future marked by further disintegration and moral ambiguity. 

4. The Rough Beast's Approach:

The poem culminates with the image of this creature:

"And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,  

Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?"

The "rough beast" symbolizes the impending birth of a new epoch, one that emerges from the ruins of the old. Its slow, deliberate movement towards Bethlehem—a place symbolically associated with birth and renewal—suggests an inevitable, albeit ominous, transformation. 

Through these potent images, Yeats conveys a world in the throes of disintegration, where established orders collapse, and a foreboding future looms. The poem encapsulates the anxiety and uncertainty of an era witnessing the end of one age and the unsettling birth of another.

Conclusion

W.B. Yeats's The Second Coming vividly captures the disintegration and chaos of the post-World War I era, symbolizing a world in crisis. Through striking images such as the spiraling falcon, the collapse of order, and the ominous "rough beast," Yeats presents a prophetic vision of a world in transition—one that is losing its traditional values and facing the emergence of a new, darker era. The poem’s unsettling imagery underscores the anxiety of an age marked by uncertainty, destruction, and the birth of an unknown, potentially threatening future. Yeats’s exploration of cyclical time and historical disintegration serves as a powerful meditation on the fragility of civilization and the unsettling forces shaping the future.

References :

Barad, Dilip. I.A. Richards: Figurative Language. blog.dilipbarad.com/2014/12/ia-richards-figurative-language.html.

Barad, Dilip and Bhavnagar University. “W.B. Yeats’s Poems: The Second Coming - and - On Being Asked for a War Poem.” Dilip Barad, 2025, https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.17299.18720.