In this review I look at Georgia’s insightful discussion of Yeat’s Second Coming.
Georgia, thank you for this piece, I heartily agree with your sentiments. I am in admiration for the research you have conducted in supporting your thoughts, both contemporarily and in the context of Yeats, following the First World War, Spanish flu and the Irish fight for independence. It is excellent in supporting your thoughts. I would also love to share something for your analysis. The lines that spoke most to me were
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.”
I find it strangely empowering; I see it is a reminder that the capability lies within the best of humanity to face the apocalypse if they answer that call. It is something I have seen in reports the world over, whether small acts of kindness or the bravery of so many medical staff in the pandemic. If I find any comfort in the current relatability of his writing, it is in the knowledge that eventually, just like the events he so vividly describes, the current darkness will someday end. Perhaps Yeats vision was prophetic with his description of the gyres that spin in and out.
Andrew Colman: Adventures in Literature 