In six pages the poem's symbolism is analyzed from a spiritual perspective and encompasses both the the fragile existence of life as well as the mystical forces fueling the afterworld existence. Four sources are cited in the bibliography.
Name of Research Paper File: AM2_PPyeats2.rtf
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Poetic style varies both according to the poet and according to the time period. William Butler Yeats lived and
wrote during the latter part of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. His work has inspired writers from his day to contemporary times. Bemrose
(37) proclaims him the greatest English poet of the twentieth century. In many circles in fact, Yeats is considered one of the greatest modernist of all time (Hassan 37).
Yeats was not English, however, as much as he was Irish. Many of his poems capture the spirit of Ireland, the richness of the folklore and the old
wives tales as well as the soul of the quest for Irish independence. "Sailing to Byzantium", however, captures the essence of Yeats more from a spiritual and mythological perspective
than from a political perspective. In it and many of his other poems he is noted for his revival of legend and Ricrucian symbols, a revival which often resulted
in a sense of romanticism and awe in the reader. His writing imparts a sense of spiritual awareness, of the fragility of life in our worldly form, of the
power of the many mystical forces of our universe, and the concepts of reincarnation and life in the afterworld. "Sailing to
Byzantium" introduces us to the mythological city of Byzantium. There life is more magical than common, more spiritual than worldly. This poetic direction is not surprising given that
Yeats is identified as one of the original English modernists. Typical of the modernist, He frequently incorporated myth as: