Many Different Meanings

After sitting in class today and listening to the many interpretations of “The Second Coming” I decided I wanted to write on a view point myself. I know I mentioned it in class but I want to say it again, what if we are way over thinking the poem instead of allowing it to be as simplistic as Yeats intended it to be? If it is true, like Will and Lane said, that everyone would have understood and heard of the stories of the Bible, then our author would be wise to use biblical references in an allegorical way. I believe this poem could be describing the war and trying to help people better understand it Yeats used scripture, which everyone had been raised hearing, to smoothly explain, in a descriptive way, what he wanted to communicate to his audience. We need to remember to put his piece of work into the context which Yeats would have been in. The first stanza talks about “The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere/ the ceremony of innocence is drowned.” This section sounds like it could be from Revelation when the angels are pouring out the bowls of wrath or when the beast is persecuting the saints. This poem really could be taken in a variety of ways, but I think we should really try and ponder the context and think about how instead of always taking something to such a deep level the author might have meant something to be easy to grasp.

Ps - This post was intended for Chloe R. post, but the blog would not let me comment on her post...
I agree we need to be seeking to share Christ with those who are lost and "make the most of every opportunity, however the bible says we are to anticipate and desire for the day of Christ's return. Having said that, it does not mean we need to stop being concerned for all those who are perishing, on the contrary, Jesus told us to "go make disciples of all the nations". We are suppose to care about the lost, one quote that I love that my pastors says (and I am sure other pastors as well) is how much do we have to hate someone to not tell them about Christ and let them go to hell not knowing if they have heard about Him before or not?(I am paraphrasing, he says it better, sorry) it is true though, how much do we have to hate someone to really not care about them going to hell, a lake of fire to burn forever?.?