Title: The Challenge of Crafting a Thesis Statement for "Sailing to Byzantium"

Crafting a compelling thesis statement is a formidable task, and when it comes to deciphering the
intricacies of W.B. Yeats' "Sailing to Byzantium," the difficulty is heightened. The poem, renowned
for its rich symbolism and layered meanings, demands a nuanced understanding to encapsulate its
essence within a concise and impactful thesis statement.

Yeats' exploration of themes such as art, aging, and the pursuit of immortality through artistic
expression requires a thoughtful and well-crafted thesis statement. However, navigating through the
complexities of the poem's verses can be a daunting challenge for many students and scholars alike.

In the quest for academic excellence, students often find themselves grappling with the subtleties of
Yeats' language, historical references, and profound philosophical undertones. As they endeavor to
encapsulate the essence of "Sailing to Byzantium" within a single, powerful sentence, they may face
the frustration of striking the right balance between specificity and encompassing the broader themes
of the poem.

Recognizing the difficulties associated with crafting a thesis statement for such a profound literary
work, it becomes imperative for individuals to seek reliable assistance. In this pursuit, one platform
stands out as a beacon of support - ⇒ HelpWriting.net ⇔. Their team of experienced writers and
literary experts is well-versed in the nuances of "Sailing to Byzantium" and can provide invaluable
assistance in formulating a thesis statement that captures the essence of the poem with precision and
clarity.

By opting for the services of ⇒ HelpWriting.net ⇔, individuals can ensure that their thesis
statement not only meets the academic standards but also reflects a deep understanding of the
complexities embedded in Yeats' masterpiece. With a commitment to excellence and a track record
of delivering top-notch academic assistance, ⇒ HelpWriting.net ⇔ emerges as the go-to platform
for those seeking expert guidance in navigating the challenges of crafting a thesis statement for
"Sailing to Byzantium."

In conclusion, the journey of distilling the profound themes of "Sailing to Byzantium" into a thesis
statement is undeniably challenging. However, with the right support and expertise, this task
becomes more manageable. For those in search of reliable assistance, ⇒ HelpWriting.net ⇔ stands
as a trusted ally, ready to guide individuals through the intricate process of crafting a thesis
statement that does justice to the depth and complexity of Yeats' poetic masterpiece.
To not mention this important aspect of the poem is to meet its deeper resonances and meaning.
These are the important sights, sounds, feelings, and smells. Although they are about life, these
poems transcend it. The presence of the moon in the poem signifies a lot. The speaker, an old man,
leaves behind the country of the young for a visionary quest to Byzantium, the ancient city that was
a major seat of early Christianity. And then, the speaker proposes that there is a way for the elderly to
rise above their diminished physical state and find value and meaning in their existence. “Soul clap
its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress,” The turning point in the poem
comes with the notion that the soul, despite residing in an ageing body (“mortal dress”), possesses
the potential to create its own significance and celebrate its existence. The speaker desires to
encounter sages standing in God’s holy fire, illuminated and wise beings who can guide him in his
pursuit of spiritual growth and understanding. Below, you can read the summary of every part of the
poem. In the shape of a singing golden bird, his song will be that of spiritual ecstasy which will be
shown by the soul “clapping its hands and singing.” Moreover, he will be surrounded, not by young
lovers and other animal creatures of the sexual cycle but by an audience that would be elegant and
abstract. Yet very few of us have any idea of the enormous debt we owe them. The. It is what
happens within a reader because of the tone the writer used in the poem. You can download the
paper by clicking the button above. The Centers for Disease Control, the CDC. Article. Filibuster.
The paper starts with a brief introduction, and then to be followed by a section about the poet W. B.
Yeats. It moves ahead to reconnoiter the scope of the mentioned important themes in the poem,
Sailing to Byzantium. Taking Yeats's poem, 'An Acre of Grass', as the case study, this paper would
examine how the process of poetic composition corresponds to the cycle of human existence-birth,
decay, and rebirth. Why do you hold your beliefs on the topic give three reasons. The sing-song-like
structure makes the Mood Mood is the feeling created by the writer for the reader. Structure, Rhyme
Scheme, and Prosody of the poem Sailing to Byzantium: The poem is divided into four parts, having
8 lines each and each section explores different aspects of the themes Yeats was grappling with.
History of the poem: It was first published in 1928 as part of his collection titled The Tower. The
image of this scarecrow-like figure clapping vigorously to prove its vitality becomes grotesque,
poignantly bringing out the comic absurdity of an old man’s existence. IV Once out of nature I shall
never take My bodily form from any natural thing, But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make Of
hammered gold and gold enamelling To keep a drowsy Emperor awake; Or set upon a golden bough
to sing To lords and ladies of Byzantium Of what is past, or passing, or to come. A notable example
of this conundrum can be found in the Wang Wei translations that Eliot Weinberger looked at in his
seminal work 19 Ways of Looking at Wang Wei. This poem was penned after the World War as
ended and the phase where he is a dangerous one which makes him worried about the future and
how her daughter will fit in. Have not framed it but no issues with it looks wise. Once out of nature I
shall never take My bodily form from any natural thing, But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make
Of hammered gold and gold enamelling To keep a drowsy Emperor awake; Or set upon a golden
bough to sing To lords and ladies of Byzantium Of what is past, or passing, or to come. But this can
happen only if the soul can rejoice in its power and magnificence. One can almost picture the speaker
calling forth the spirits in Byzantium, pleading with them to inspire and awaken his soul. Here is an
analysis of the poem Sailing to Byzantium by William Butler Yeats. Share to Twitter Share to
Facebook Share to Pinterest. Stanza V Astraddle on the dolphin's mire and blood, Spirit after Spirit.
The title of the poem “Sailing to Byzantium” also adds to the ottava rima style, as it seems to hint at
the beginning of an epic quest. These “dying generations” of the world’s birds sing songs to the body,
songs which distract all people from the contemplation of “monuments of unageing intellect.” Those
alone can justify an old man’s existence and cannot be produced in modern chaotic times. They
highlight the contrast between the fleeting nature of the physical body and the enduring essence of
the soul, underscoring the poem’s broader exploration of the human desire for spiritual immortality
and artistic significance. Here, the poet presents his dislike for the physical and sensual life in
Ireland; in the second stanza, he talks about what of spiritual life the poet would lead in the golden
city of Byzantium, and the third stanza is addressed to the sages of Byzantium to make his soul
purged of all remaining sensuality. This is evidenced by Yeats’s use of Spiritus Mundi in the poem,
which literally means “Spirit of the World.” It is believed that it might have led Yeats to propose that
the Judgment Day or the end of the world is approaching. While old age is all about how one utilizes
one’s wisdom for the betterment of the soul. And then, the speaker proposes that there is a way for
the elderly to rise above their diminished physical state and find value and meaning in their
existence. “Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress,” The
turning point in the poem comes with the notion that the soul, despite residing in an ageing body
(“mortal dress”), possesses the potential to create its own significance and celebrate its existence.
The Centers for Disease Control, the CDC. Article. Filibuster. In other words, the narrator wants to
become part of those things which are beyond the cycle of birth and death. In “Sailing to
Byzantium”, history and anthropology predominate clearly over supernaturalism: they provide both
the symbolic framework and the bulk of the detail by which the overriding myth is established. It
should be clear, concise, arguable, well-supported by evidence, and written in an appropriate tone. II
9 An aged man is but a paltry thing, 10 A tattered coat upon a stick, unless 11 Soul clap its hands
and sing, and louder sing 12 For every tatter in its mortal dress, 13 Nor is there singing school but
studying 14 Monuments of its own magnificence; 15 And therefore I have sailed the seas and come
16 To the holy city of Byzantium. The second coming of Christ or parousia is the return of Jesus
Christ. The speaker's described country may also be Yeats' Ireland. This article, which involves the
interpretation of the poem from the perspective of its texture, is significant to teachers and students
who are engrossed in studying English poetry. This poem was written in 1919, in the aftermath of the
Second World War, and by an Irishman who loved his country and yet saw all around him a land
tearing itself apart in anarchy and destruction. Astraddle on the dolphin's mire and blood, Spirit after
spirit. Yeats had a deep interest in mysticism and the occult, and these themes are evident in many of
his later works, including Sailing to Byzantium. The act of “sailing the seas” may hint at a
metaphorical journey of self-discovery and the quest for higher understanding. III 17 O sages
standing in God's holy fire 18 As in the gold mosaic of a wall, 19 Come from the holy fire, perne in
a gyre, 20 And be the singing-masters of my soul. 21 Consume my heart away; sick with desire 22
And fastened to a dying animal 23 It knows not what it is; and gather me 24 Into the artifice of
eternity. Our speaker decides that the old country is for the birds. An aged man acquires some merit
or value only if old age is accompanied by a spiritual recognition by admiring the great works of art.
III 17 O sages standing in God's holy fire 18 As in the gold mosaic of a wall, 19 Come from the holy
fire, perne in a gyre, 20 And be the singing-masters of my soul. 21 Consume my heart away; sick
with desire 22 And fastened to a dying animal 23 It knows not what it is; and gather me 24 Into the
artifice of eternity. This transformation of the dying bird of the natural world to the everlasting
permanence of the golden bird is a message of the superiority of the artificial and a metaphor for the
speakers desire to live on through the “bodily form” of timeless art. Birds, fish, and all other
creatures lead an animal, physical life which is spent in procreation. A thesis statement summarizes
the central points of your essay. III 17 O sages standing in God's holy fire 18 As in the gold mosaic
of a wall, 19 Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, 20 And be the singing-masters of my soul. 21
Consume my heart away; sick with desire 22 And fastened to a dying animal 23 It knows not what it
is; and gather me 24 Into the artifice of eternity. The poem Sailing to Byzantium is constructed in
reality, though it has to relocate outside reality to afford an element of a life that is sovereign of the
other. In the shape of a singing golden bird, his song will be that of spiritual ecstasy which will be
shown by the soul “clapping its hands and singing.” Moreover, he will be surrounded, not by young
lovers and other animal creatures of the sexual cycle but by an audience that would be elegant and
abstract. Finally, this essay argues that the two poems are similar as regards the use of the metaphor
of a “gyre”.
It suggests a departure from the familiar and a willingness to explore uncharted territories in search
of something greater. As the young lovers are wrapped in each other’s arms, the birds are singing in
the trees. Amidst this physical decay, the poetic persona relentlessly strives to refashion the 'self' by
transmuting his passion into creative energy. The poet needs them to leave the sacred blaze and to
dive upon him with a bird of prey like development. From this life, he is sailing to the city of
Byzantium where intellectual life is awaiting him. The title of the poem “Sailing to Byzantium” also
adds to the ottava rima style, as it seems to hint at the beginning of an epic quest. The speaker begins
the poem by stating that “the young” are “caught in that sensual music” of life and therefore neglect
the importance of leaving “monuments of unageing intellect”. The phrase “in one another’s arms”
conjures images of youth and vitality, highlighting the physical and emotional connections that
young people share. The crucial aspects are: the title of the poem, substance of the poem, form of the
poem, tone of the speaker, sound devices, literary devices, diction, syntax, mode of expression,
themes and so on. Obviously, it stands in direct contrast with 'the fury and mire of human veins'.
While interestingly blasphemous, this brief exposition is not awfully complicated. Whole flocks of
birds and generations of young lovers. The assignments of different topics are not so easy to create it
perfectly at the beginning of writing. These lines offer a philosophical perspective on the human
experience of ageing. Yeats struggles with his pride and whether or not he had any impact in
someone else’s life. This was done by Grecian goldsmiths to form a golden bird who could sing to a
sleepy Emperor and keep him awake. Such a Rhyme Scheme The rhyme scheme is the pattern of
rhyme that’s used in a poem. He feels he could accomplish a whole lot more the second time around.
The choice of “studying” instead of the expected “singing” suggests a deeper, more introspective
approach to understanding oneself and one’s artistic (and spiritual) identity. Byzantium is the symbol
of the ideal, aesthetic, and transformed existence, and suggests a far-off, unfamiliar civilization
where art is for its own sake and whose religion is in an exotic form. The praxis of translation is at
the epicenter of pastiche, with the original text acting as the source of translation and the pastiche’s
writer acting as the translator. They do not understand the importance of old things. To do so, the
ecocritical insights envisioned by Arne Naess, Bill Devall, George Sessions and Timothy W. The
opening of the 5th line reinforces the abundance and richness of the natural world, which remains
constant throughout the summer season. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize
the functionality of this website. Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong
argument. He reflects on his nation’s politics, Irish mysticism, the afterlife, love, and his own past. It
means in the country, young people enjoy the pleasures of love. Not only do the antinomies
symbolize one another, as they must, but the structural gyres and opposites of “the Second Coming”
and “Sailing to Byzantium” are in patterns which suggest both perfection and the metaphysical
Absolute. In short, the Youth pastiche was an ineffective translation that was asinine and retained
none of the urgency that made Yeats’ poem so memorable.
Being constantly panicked by the unpredictability of life. The poet wants them to come out of the
“holy fire” and to descend upon him with a hawk-like movement. But, on a deep analysis, it
becomes obvious that Yeats is talking about certain supreme philosophical and spiritual aspects of
life. Great post. Thanks for sharing. Custom Essay Writing Service Reply Delete Replies Reply Add
comment Load more. The opening of the 5th line reinforces the abundance and richness of the
natural world, which remains constant throughout the summer season. This second coming is not of
the Jesus people first knew, rather, it is of a “rough beast”. In this opening line, Yeats tries to
establish the central theme of the poem: the world in which the speaker currently resides is not
suitable for ageing individuals. The repeated use of the term 'complexities' by the poet, signifies that
there is no easy solution to the enigma of life and death, mortality and immortality and the question
of salvation or redemption. You can download the paper by clicking the button above. With this in
mind I based my project around a literary device called pastiche, a device that overtly celebrates the
original work. II An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its
hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but
studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the
holy city of Byzantium. Some of the greatest commentators of our time have been able to transfigure
readers into reading poetry English-language poetry in both deeper and broader senses. The bird that
is set in gold will last forever, a permanent presence singing for all time, a metaphor for what the
speaker so desperately craves. In this light a successful translation is one that retains the serious
intentions of the original poem whilst also having a radically different setting. This means that it
should not be overly broad or vague, but rather should be specific and focused on a particular aspect
of the topic. Below, you can read the summary of every part of the poem. These sages look like the
figures represented in “the gold mosaic of a wall.”. The title of the poem “Sailing to Byzantium” also
adds to the ottava rima style, as it seems to hint at the beginning of an epic quest. Though the rest of
the poem discusses ways for this tattered heap of sticks and clothes to live on, these images and
symbolism used by the speaker are difficult to escape, thus emphasizing his primary, consuming fear
of aging. DAHAMI Yeats’s poem, Sailing to Byzantium, is a prominent poem about the contrastive
relationship between youth and aged people. Get the entire guide to “Sailing to Byzantium” as a
printable PDF. He says that there is no place for old people in his country. Literature review The
literature review chapter sets the premise of your thesis. He reveals his quest for the “ holy city of
Byzantium,” which symbolises a realm of timeless wisdom and spiritual significance. But in this last
stanza of the poem, the poet says what kind of form he would like to be born in his re-birth. This
poem was written in 1919, in the aftermath of the Second World War, and by an Irishman who loved
his country and yet saw all around him a land tearing itself apart in anarchy and destruction.
However, the meter in the poem is so loose, and the exceptions so common, that apparently the poem
is closer to free verse with recurrent heavy stresses. Youth as a pastiche came across as an on-the-
nose parody of “trendy youth culture” that would not be too out of place in Kurt Vonnegut’s The
Breakfast of Champion. Likewise, the rhymes are random; aside from the two opening couplets,
there are only unintentional rhymes in the poem like “man” and “sun”. Share to Twitter Share to
Facebook Share to Pinterest. Although they are about life, these poems transcend it.
Yeats had a deep interest in mysticism and the occult, and these themes are evident in many of his
later works, including Sailing to Byzantium. Commonly, these are divided into iambs or trochees.
The poet also uses Onomatopoeia An onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the natural sound of a
thing. The reference to the “holy city of Byzantium” underlines the speaker’s desire to find a higher
state of being, where art, intellect, and spirituality intertwine, offering the possibility of enduring
significance beyond the limitations of the mortal world. Full content visible, double tap to read brief
content. Through confrontation with nature, examining it as a source of ideas, motifs, and myths,
Yeats sheds light on his interior state of self to create art. They do not understand the beauty of the
old culture and art. He wants them to become the “singing masters of his soul,” and to purify his
heart. The speaker admits here that he feels lost and “sick with desire.” The ostracizing he
experienced in his former home has sickened his heart, and he is begging the wise sages to cleanse
him. You can download the paper by clicking the button above. He says that there is no place for old
people in his country. Yeats’ art of poetry makes it a timeless exploration of the human condition and
the longing for eternal meaning amidst the transient nature of life. This metrical choice not only
enhances the musicality of the poem but also adds to the contemplative and introspective mood,
guiding the reader through the speaker’s philosophical reflections. As a golden bird, a work of art, he
would be beyond decay or death and would therefore be unlike the “dying generations” of real birds
mentioned in the first stanza. With a tattered coat upon his weak and thin body, the old man looks
like a scare-crow. Besides, the seas there are teeming with mackerel fish. Once it has been confirmed
that both parties knowing entered into a legally binding relationship, it will then be necessary to
determine whether Harry is bound by the words of the exclusion clause stated on the back f the
receipt and on Smooth Sailings website. A l exa n d er? A. ? P o t eb n j a. ? Th e?an a l yses? o f.
He maintained the belief that as people age, they become disconnected from the realities of the
world. But this can happen only if the soul can rejoice in its own power and magnificence. Reply
Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. The stress falls on the second
syllable in each foot. The old people are only petty things for the young man of the country. To
calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average.
Without Byzantium, the works of Homer and Herodotus, Plato and Aristotle, Sophocles and
Aeschylus, would never have survived. Moreover, if you compare Yeats’ metaphors to that of the
Hindu scripture Gita, you can find similarities, way more than you might expect. In other words, to
teach him to listen to his spiritual music as distinguished from the sensual music (which the poet has
mentioned earlier in stanza one). Finally, this essay argues that the two poems are similar as regards
the use of the metaphor of a “gyre”. Byzantium: the successor of Greece and Rome, this magnificent
empire bridged the ancient and modern worlds for more than a thousand years. The choice of
“studying” instead of the expected “singing” suggests a deeper, more introspective approach to
understanding oneself and one’s artistic (and spiritual) identity.
Birds are brought up again in the final stanza through the speakers desire to take “the form as
Grecian goldsmiths make”, an allusion to the Byzantine Emperor who had made himself mechanical
birds that were “set upon a golden bough to sing”. As this poem was written in the later years of
Yeats life, the themes of desperate, consuming desire to leave behind a lasting monument were
perhaps a reflection of Yeats’ own fears and implorations. It is concluded that his poetic
contemplations on the inevitable changes of life, reflected in the macrocosm of nature, offer both the
writer and reader a fuller vision of reality. Besides, “Byzantium” is a Metonymy Metonymy is a kind
of figurative language that refers to a situation in which one term is substituted for another.
Commonly, these are divided into iambs or trochees. A notable example of this conundrum can be
found in the Wang Wei translations that Eliot Weinberger looked at in his seminal work 19 Ways of
Looking at Wang Wei. Each line has five sets of two beats, the first is unstressed and the second is
stressed. However, the play-writing could not interest him for long, therefore, later in his life, he
started exploring theosophy, Platonism, Neoplatonism, and Rosicrucianism. This second coming is
not of the Jesus people first knew, rather, it is of a “rough beast”. He says that the old man should
leave the country of the young and travel to Byzantium, the holy city. For a contract between two
parties to be binding, three. Metrically, each is quite complicated; the lines are loosely iambic, with
the first, second, third, fifth, and eighth lines in pentameter, the fourth line in tetrameter, and the
sixth and seventh line in trimeter, so that the pattern of line-stresses in each stanza is 55545335. II 9
An aged man is but a paltry thing, 10 A tattered coat upon a stick, unless 11 Soul clap its hands and
sing, and louder sing 12 For every tatter in its mortal dress, 13 Nor is there singing school but
studying 14 Monuments of its own magnificence; 15 And therefore I have sailed the seas and come
16 To the holy city of Byzantium. He maintained the belief that as people age, they become
disconnected from the realities of the world. The poet needs them to leave the sacred blaze and to
dive upon him with a bird of prey like development. The mention of “song” adds a layer of artistic
and creative expression that represents the vitality and beauty of youth’s artistic endeavours. Caught
in that sensual music all neglect Monuments of unageing intellect. The speaker admits here that he
feels lost and “sick with desire.” The ostracizing he experienced in his former home has sickened his
heart, and he is begging the wise sages to cleanse him. Yeats wrote the poem in Iambic Pentameter
Iambic pentameter is a very common way that lines of poetry are structured. IV 25 Once out of
nature I shall never take 26 My bodily form from any natural thing, 27 But such a form as Grecian
goldsmiths make 28 Of hammered gold and gold enamelling 29 To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;
30 Or set upon a golden bough to sing 31 To lords and ladies of Byzantium 32 Of what is past, or
passing, or to come. The act of clapping hands and singing symbolises the soul’s ability to find joy,
purpose, and meaning, regardless of the ageing body’s limitations. Giving his remarks on this poem,
John Unterecker says, “The poem prepares the way for a whole group of comments on the passionate
old man as a Symbolism Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas or meanings. The
pastiche on a theme of Youth was quite dissimilar to the original’s diction and its form was only
superficially similar to the form of Yeats’ poem. In the former, the narrator is describing a
nightmarish and violent scene. Uses of images and symbols are only one of the natural devices
deployed in the art of poetry to reverberate and enhance the meaning of any piece of work into a
non-linear one, to have multi-dimensional interpretations of it, ultimately to reach out to a broader
audience with an even broader message. His work after 1910 was strongly influenced by Pound,
becoming more modern in its concision and imagery, but Yeats never abandoned his strict adherence
to traditional verse forms. The poem is full of images that do justice to the contrast between the
sensual world and the artifice of eternity. Here, the poet explains the difference between two stages
of human life, youth, and old-age. You can download the paper by clicking the button above. Perhaps
Yeats was feeling alienated from his society for the same reasons. The soul’s ability to sing “louder”
in response to “every tatter” in its mortal dress suggests that the more the body experiences decay
and wear, the more the soul seeks to affirm its own inner richness and artistic essence.