20th Century Poetry

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A Comparison of Two Poems by Yeats

Sailing to Byzantium ' and The Lake Isle of Innisfree ' may be written a few decades apart , but having both been written by William Butler Yeats , there are similarities blended together with the less subtle differences . It is important to comprehend the underlying themes and meanings of each of the poems as stand-alones before proceeding to the comparisons

Sailing to Byzantium ' is a poem about a journey or a transition Yeats does not only refer

to a physical journey from one place to another , but he also talks about the journey of life wherein people cannot help but grow old , and ultimately die . Whatever is begotten born , and dies (Yeats , Sailing to Byzantium ) In these lines , the author feels that being old is the start of decay , and being young is needed in to fully enjoy the pleasures of life . Nobody can then escape the moment of death . That is no country for old men . The young in one another 's arms (Yeats , Sailing to Byzantium ) refers to the author 's belief that the magnificence of Byzantium , which represents art , intellectualism and earthly pleasures , can only be fully appreciated by youthful senses and vigor . Written in 1927 in his sixties , Yeats seems preoccupied with the age issue . He is either scared of getting old , of being helpless and of being no longer able to produce creative works , or he is envious of the youth who , aside from still having many years ahead of them , still possess a clearer mind In the second stanza of Sailing to Byzantium ' Yeats further depreciates maturity in years , comparing an old man to an empty shell the is depictive of a scarecrow which is a poor imitation of human form : An aged man is but a paltry thing , a tattered coat upon a stick (Yeats , Sailing to Byzantium ) The metaphor focuses on the helplessness and less productivity associated with old age . Yeats may be using the metaphor to express his own fear of ageing , and its consequences . He believes that the only way man can be free of the physical constraints rendered by old age is to live for the things that the soul or the mind is capable of . Yeats appears to be exploring his own desire to break the bounds of age and physicality by immersing himself in art and wisdom , which is reflective of Byzantium . The journey towards Byzantium , therefore , is not a physical journey per se , but Yeats ' attempt to achieve permanence in spirituality , artistry and intellectualism despite his advancing physical journey in years

There are more phrases that emphasize the author 's distaste of ageing And fastened to a dying animal ' is such a phrase . It expresses the distaste in such a way that he compares the human body to a whimpering pathetic beast this is the image that arises upon reading the particular phrase . The fourth stanza reveals the author 's complete departure...