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Yeats Manipulation

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Yeats ambivalence of his personal and political world is displayed through his manipulation of form throughout his poetry. ‘The Second Coming’ published in 1919 explores how chaos and destruction was the cause of Yeats uncertainty of the worlds’ ability to become stable and peaceful. ‘Easter 1916’ published in 1921 highlights how through manipulating form Yeats can communicate his uncertainty of the Rebels violence. Yeats’ modernist piece, ‘The Second Coming’ utilises poetic form to explore how the worlds characterisation of violence and disorder catalysed his uncertainty about both the political world and his personal world. Beginning in media res, the tetrameter “turning and turning in the widening gyre”, highlights Yeats’ belief in the …show more content…

The consistent rhyme scheme 16-24-16-24 is reflective of the Easter Uprising which occurred on the 24th April 1916, this structured rhyme represents the military style of the uprising, reinforced through symbolism of “grey”, a dark tone foreshadowing the nature of the uprising. Manipulating form Yeats switches between iambic trimeter and iambic tetrameter styles, representing his uncertainty about the Rebels actions. Yeats uses the colour symbolism of “motely” to explore his mocking attitude towards the violent actions of Irish Rebels “MacDonagh and MacBride”, referencing their lack of impact and significance through the _________ “polite meaningless words”. Although, Yeats experiences a realisation of the key role of “MacDonagh and MacBride” in reconciling peace and unity within Ireland, he displays uncertainty about their use of violence. Yeats uncertainty about the Rebels violence is represented through the oxymoronic frame that closes each stanza, “a terrible beauty is born” reinforced through its repetition Yeats explore his paradoxical feelings regarding the necessity of the rebel’s violent actions, therefore reflecting his ambivalence. Throughout the fourth stanza Yeats manipulates form through his repeated use of question marks, further catalysing his uncertainty of violence and conflict. Yeats questions if all the destruction and death that resulted from the Rebels violent actions was in fact needed to achieve peace, reinforced through the ________ “was it needless death after all?”. In conclusion, in ‘Easter 1916’, Yeats reflects on the Irish Rebels’ violence which resulted in death and destruction, through manipulating the poems form to reflect their impact, on both himself and the

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