Sailing To Byzantium Summary

I have really been fascinated when I read William B. Yeats’ poem named “The Old Men Admiring Themselves In The water” which seems too short but includes more than what it looks in terms of meaning. Here, I tried to analyze his great but seeming little poem in terms of the physical characteristics of the poem,literary devices used in poem , emotions I have been felt by these literary devices,meaning of the poem and finally Why I chose this poem to analyze .

“When You Are Old” is about the love of a man for a woman whom he had on a pedestal. He felt this woman was loved by many with a true and deep love and loved by others with a false love. He felt this woman was loved much like people today love celebrities. Yeats wrote about this woman as though he knew her intimately. He asks her to “slowly read, and dream of the soft look, Your eyes had once and of their shadows deep” (Yeats). He wants her to remember how things were in her youth. He wants her to remember her dreams and think of how things were and how they may have been. Yeats is asking her to take her time and day dream about her glory days.

Western Europe had many differences and similarities with the Byzantium and Islamic Empires. Western Europe, Byzantium, and Islamic Empire all have had their ups and their downs.

Through the use of vigorous, ritualistic imagery and war-like diction, Yeats accentuates the inauspicious course of events the world has faced. Yeats, in the first stanza, uses violent and warlike imagery and diction to illustrates that the world is on the threshold of an apocalyptic revelation. Yeats describes that the world is going to “fall apart,” and that “mere anarchy is [loosened] upon the world,” and ‘everywhere...innocence is drowned.” The use of violent diction in the first stanza contributes to the concept that world is going to end, and that humanity cannot recover from the destruction the world has caused, but Yeats uses ritualistic imagery to describe “a rough beast” with “a shape [of a] lion body and head of a man” to show that this “New Age” will bring some hope. William Yeats uses this violent and ritualistic imagery and diction to illustrate that in order to bring a new era, the old epoch must die violently, which is his concept of “the second coming.” Yeats believes that a violent revolution will bring hope to a new era. Similarly, how the Russian Revolution was destructive and brought an end to an era and started a new age which bought Russia to new heights, Yeats believes that a violent end of the world can bring the new world to new

The Byzantium Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in Rome. He made Byzantium his new capital, instead of leaving the name as Byzantium he changed it to Constantinople. Constantine was a very powerful Roman Emperor. He achieved many things, and was remembered forever. He was a brutal emperor, executing two of his family members, and converting the whole Roman Empire to Christianity. He reigned for 31 years. Constantine was born on February 27, in either 272 or 285 AD. He was born in Naissus, Moesia which is now Nis, Serbia. He was known as Flavius Valerious Constantinus or Constantine the Great. He was the son of Constantius I and Helena.

Similarly, the poem ‘When You Are Old’ by William Butler Yeats is of women being told what it will be like when she becomes older. However, in this poem when she becomes older she will regret passing on a young man’s love instead of become the older women filled with joy of being an older and without cares the person in ‘Afternoon’. Both poems are of younger people looking into the future of when they become older but the results are much

John Keats’ poem, When I have fears that I may cease to be, is a well-known work that embodies many Romantic principles. The poem, explored in the context of Keats’ suffering from consumption, laments human impermanence while simultaneously exploring philosophical notions. Keats implements the use of the Shakespearean sonnet with each quatrain, beginning with the ambiguous, but time-bound word ‘when,’ manifesting these ideas in unique ways. When I have fears that I may cease to be uses the structure of the sonnet to delineate between the realms of reality and fantasy, while contributing to the overarching concept of eternity and ultimately reaches the conclusion that even lofty ideas that appear eternal ultimately erode.

Constantinople was a city strategically built both on the outside and inside. Constantine founded Constantinople on the remains of Byzantium for economic and military reasons, which were excellently seen through in the city. With the benefits of those actions, Constantine developed a rich and religious community for his citizens.

Peter had always wanted a navy, but Russia had no good ports, so he found a good port, Azov, which belonged to the Turks. Peter marched his men to the fort and sieged it, but the Turks’ ships brought supplies, food, and everything else, the Russians had none of these. Peter realizes that he can’t capture Azov without first stopping the ships, so his men build boats, to stop the ships from reaching Azov. To get over the wall Peter began to build a large pile of rubble, and when it was tall enough, the soldiers just climbed

The Eastern Roman Empire was gradually reduced in size until it was made up only of the Greek lands surrounding Constantinople, which by the 8th century was transformed into the Byzantine Empire. The Empire was faced with threats to be invaded by Bulgars, Muslim and Christians. It slowly lost touch with the Latin kingdoms of the West. It was just an memory of Roman survival to people in Western Europe it no longer was a state. In Byzantium, unlike Western Europe with its popes and kings, church and state were one, with the emperor supreme over both authorities a new administrative unit, a theme, combined military and civilian jobs into the hands of one person. The rise of Islam was a huge problem at this time. It was a Christian and Greek state,

In both openings, each poet recognizes the ephemeral element of life. Keats’ fears that he “may cease to be,” while Longfellow reflects, “half of life is gone” (Keats 1; Longfellow 1). Through diction, this trend becomes evident. For example, Keats uses the words, “Huge cloudy symbols,” and “shadows,” indicating almightiness and transcendence (Keats 6, 8). Longfellow too recognizes nature’s power, going even further, capitalizing the words “Past” and “Death” (Longfellow 9, 14). Such capitalization is done out of respect for the power of these words, and further, as a reiteration that the present is determined by the past and the future. In effect, Longfellow realizes that the present is the morphed version of the past and the future, and thus gives no capitalization, or significance, to it. Keats experiences the opposite. He very much endorses the attitude of carpe diem, trying to move on from the past only to be greeted by the grim face of death. By the end of the poem, each poet describes similar circumstances. Keats approaches a shore, while Longfellow ascends a hill to contemplate life. They differ, however, as Keats views a “wide world” replete with literary repute and love, but realizes it is “nothingness” in the bigger picture (Keats 13-14). Thus, he pursues what remains of his opportunities, despite knowing his human insignificance. Conversely, Longfellow sees the “gleaming lights” of an idyllic past with a waterfall of death that will haunt him now and what remains of his future (Longfellow

In addition to trying to voice the public, he also made an essence of the poem by including the variations of the people in society; referencing the poem, he was sure to include the different people in society to acknowledge that the world will also be affected. Yeats mentions, “A young girl in the indolence of her youth…”, he is trying his best to make it conspicuous that an adolescent female has absolutely no say in the government's actions and the politics corresponding along with it. Although nobody will ever listen to a young girls opinion, Yeats was trying to show the world that the political decisions that the government makes will affect everybody, even those without a voice. In conjunction with Yeats referencing the young girl, he had mentioned an old man in winter. Yeats had used the old man in winter to refer to the fact that an old man is helpless anyway, so nobody cares about his opinion in the political aspect of the world. Also, the winter puts a damper on everybody, but especially the older folks who cannot help themselves. Yeats was asked to write a poem about the first world war, but he took it to another level and wrote about the different types of people it would affect. Because he has always had a passion for politics, when Henry James gave Yeats this opportunity, he could not turn it down. Because of Yeats love for political content, he had written this poem with no hesitation, he could have rejected James of this offer, but he quickly and very thoroughly wrote this poem bringing meaning to the world. Yeats had always cherished the government and its works, therefore, he incorporated his love for political content into his love for the poetic

He states frankly that he will build a small cabin made of the earth’s clay and an interweaving of twigs and weeds. By describing that, “nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee, and live alone in the bee-loud glade,” (line 3-4) he does more than simply tell the reader that he has a garden and a beehive, he uses imagery and detailed description to inscribe in the reader’s mind of truly how peaceful his natural paradise can be, alone and surrounded by his natural atmosphere. “And I shall have some peace there …and evening full of the linnet’s wings,” (line 5-9). In the second stanza, Yeats sets a theme of peace and tranquility by illustrating just the real beauty that he observes and is able to observe, as one could do not in the corrupted civilian life. “I will arise and go now, for always night and day…While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray, I hear it in the deep heart’s core” (line 9-12). Here the speaker describes that even though it was his time to go back to civilian life (the civilian life is shown through the line “While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray” (line 11), because roadways are only paved due to the work of human beings and their materialistic nature of keeping their automobiles dirt-free) he will still “hear the lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore” (line 10), and by

In conclusion , W.B.Yeats tries to visualize his journey in search for love, and tries to convey a full live image of the journey in all possible aspects such as ( colors, sounds, and movements ),the elements that -to a great extent- have helped him convey a full live picture to the readers, making them hear, see and live the whole journey with him

     When You are Old, by William Butler Yeats, represents and elderly woman reminiscing of her younger days. A past lover whispers to her as she looks through a photo album. Basically, Yeats is showing that as the woman gets older, she is alone, but she does not have to be lonely. She will always have her memories for companionship.