The Second Coming... of war?

As I read The Second Coming, yet again, I keep going back to my (possible) conspiracy theory. Do I believe in it? No. It is interesting to note, however, the imagery between The Second Coming and the events leading up to, as well as the events of WWII. let's look at it

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Here we have the imagery of the gyre, or a cycle of repeating events. When moving in a circle, no matter how much you move, you will always end up where you were before. In class we talked about the Bi-millennial revolution. (remember Dr. Mitchell's Millenium Falcon comment?) For the last two thousand years, and before then even, Europe had been in a state of constant war. If it wasn't the expansion of the Roman empire, it was whether or not you were Catholic, or a supporter of Napoleon, or you were friends with Serbia.

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The center cannot hold... Find a map of Europe ca. 1919 (when the poem was written). In the center, you'll see that it contains the countries Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Poland. Interesting to notice that, even before Germany invaded Poland and Czechoslovakia, the Nazi Party spread propaganda in these counties so as to cause a regime change. While ineffective overall, it did however cause a small, fanatical sect of Nazism that aided the German Army in their invasion of these countries at the beginning of the war, these countries were in turmoil first, before any other countries. It started at the center, and sent a wave of bloodshed all across Europe.

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

During the Holocaust, Nazi Germany, and the countries that allied with her, acted with passion. Just watch a video of a Nazi Rally, or a Fascist convention In Italy. You can see passion, not only in the leaders, but in the people themselves. However, during this time, The reactions of Britain, whom the world looked to for leadership, was one of indifference. Britain did not want a war, so they turned a blind eye to the murder of over six million men, women, and children.

Surely some revelation is at hand;

Surely the Second Coming is at hand.

The Second Coming!

After the First World War, known at the time as 'The Great War', many Christians began to look to the second coming of Christ promised in the Bible. "The end is near!" was a common cry from the pulpit all across the world.

Hardly are those words out

When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi

Troubles my sight: a waste of desert sand;

A shape with lion body and the head of a man,

A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,

Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it

Wind shadows of the indignant desert birds.

The darkness drops again but now I know

That twenty centuries of stony sleep

Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,

So, after this, we have a Sphinx moving, slowly, steadily across the desert. It is interesting to note that, in Greek mythology, the Sphinx was a symbol of destruction and bad luck. This beast, after arousing itself from its slumber in the desert sands, is ready to bring destruction to the world after two thousand years. Also mentioned are the desert birds that follow it to destruction. In ages past, whenever two armies are encamped in a location, large desert carrion (vultures, people) would begin to circle over the battlefield. The vultures knew there would be an inevitable bloodbath to follow. This is where we get the term "gore-crow". Interestingly, it had been about 1600 years after a German people, the Anglo Saxons, had invaded Britain. One of the Low points in WWII was the Battle of Britain, or the Blitz. This was a sustained bombing campaign against London and other large British cities in order to soften up the island for eventual invasion.

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

Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

Last, we have the Beast, symbolizing destruction and bloodshed, moving towards Bethlehem, a small town in Israel, the nation of the Jews, and the birthplace of the most famous Jew: Jesus of Nazareth. I don't really need to elaborate on destruction and bloodshed of the Jews a few years after this poem was written.

It took me all that to say this: this poem is very interesting, and could it allude to the Second World War? May be so, but probably not. It's just something interesting I noticed while reading The Second Coming.

~~Cody Martin

P.S. I commented on Josh's "I have to wipe the dust off my PC"