The Second Coming : Summary

Summary

Summary

Stanza 1 – A Terrible Picture of Chaos: In this stanza, the poet shows that the world is going through strange chaos. Everything seems to have gone out of control. The poet says a falcon is no longer listening to its master. This is used as a symbol. It means people no longer follow any rules. Order in society has broken down. Then the poet says that the good people remain silent. They do not speak or act. On the other hand, the bad people speak loudly. They have become very aggressive. These bad people spread violence in society. Everything has become so bad that it feels like a great danger is coming. The world seems to have lost its balance. Now something new is about to be born, but it is not peace — it may be something terrible.

Stanza 2 – The Arrival of a Terrible New Age: In the second stanza, the poet describes a frightening vision of the future. He believes that the current chaos is just a sign— a new age is coming. But this new age will not be peaceful. The poet imagines a strange beast walking through the desert sands. Its body is like a lion’s, but its head is like a man’s. Its eyes are ruthless, showing no feeling. It moves slowly forward. This image is very terrifying. This beast is called the “rough beast.” It is not a symbol of the holy spirit like Christ. Instead, it represents an evil and destructive power. The poet says this beast is about to be born in the place where Jesus Christ was once born—Bethlehem. But this time it is not a blessing, rather the beginning of a new age of evil power.

In the first stanza, the poet shows that society is in chaos and out of control. In the second stanza, he hints at a frightening future age, where a terrible power is born. The poem says we are on the edge of destruction. The wheel of history is turning. Instead of peace, destruction may come.