The Spiritus Mundi: The Second Coming (W.B. YEATS)

The poet repeats the idea of second coming three times that symbolises his eager for Christ’s second coming. The poet is sure that Christ's second coming is at hand. Soon the poet sees a nightmare - a vast image of Spiritus Mundi - which troubles his sight. It is somewhere in the sands of the desert like Sphinx at Giza, with the shape of head of a man and body of a lion. It is pitiless as the sun, and has no sympathy for humans. The poet is explaining the condition of men during the World War II. At that time the people had seen so many murders and killings that they were not affected by seeing others in misery and sorrow. The beast is in no hurry and is moving slowly. Desert Birds like vultures are flying around it. The sight of Spiritus Mundi vanishes and the darkness drops again.

       “That twenty centuries of stony sleep” probably refers to the Barbarianism that existed before Christianity. During the Christian Era, it was in deep sleep. Now as the Christian Era is about to end it is moving “towards Bethlehem to be born” i.e. a new era is about to begin which is characterized by barbarianism, hypocrisy, murder etc.

       The end of the poem is on contrary to the biblical belief. According to the Christian mythology, it was believed that Christ will be born when the world would be in disorder. He would do justice to both alive as well as dead. The poet goes against it and shows us that the new era will be that of Barbarianism.

The Second Coming (Poem)