Symbol is a literary device where an object, person, place, or event stands for something deeper or abstract. W.B. Yeats (1865-1939) is the icon among the modern English poets. He used many symbols in his poems. Symbols made his poems deep and powerful. Through symbols, he showed ideas like change, death, beauty, politics, and spirituality. He used personal, national, and universal symbols. Let us look at the symbols used in four famous poems:

Symbols in “Sailing to Byzantium”: This poem is about old age, art, and the spiritual world. In this poem, the poet uses powerful symbols like,

• Byzantium: Byzantium is a holy city. It stands for art, wisdom, and eternal life. The poet wants to go there to escape the pain of old age. He says,

“I have sailed the seas and come 

To the holy city of Byzantium.”

• The Sailing (Journey): The sailing means the poet’s journey from the real world to the world of art. It also means his wish to leave the body and enter the soul. It is a symbol of change and freedom.
• The Golden Bird: The bird is made of gold and sings forever. It stands for immortal art. The poet wants to become this bird. He says, 

“Set upon a golden bough to sing…”

• Terrible Beauty: This is the main symbol of the poem. It means the beauty of sacrifice, but also the pain of death. The poet says:

• Green: Green is the color of Ireland. It stands for Irish pride and freedom. It also reminds us of the blood and struggle of the Irish people.
• Stone: The stone is a symbol of strong will and an unchanging heart. It shows the bravery of the Irish heroes. 

• Lake Isle of Innisfree: It is a real island, but it also means peace, freedom, and escape. The poet wants to leave the busy world and live there.
• Bee-loud Glade: This means a quiet place filled with soft nature sounds. Bees stand for simple, natural life.
• Midnight and Noon: These are not just times. They show peaceful moments in life. The poet wants peace day and night. He says,

“And live alone in the bee-loud glade.”

• The Gyre: It is a spiral shape. It means the circle of history. Yeats believed history moves in spirals, not straight lines.
• The Rough Beast: This beast is wild and dangerous. It stands for the evil forces of the future. It is scary and unknown. It may bring destruction or a new era.
• Bethlehem: This is where Jesus was born. But here, it shows that something evil is going to be born. It shows the end of the old world and the start of a dark age.
• The Falcon and the Falconer: The falcon is a bird. The falconer is the master. The bird flies too far and cannot hear the master. It means people are out of control. Yeats writes,

W.B. Yeats used symbols to make his poems rich and deep. His symbols are taken from nature, religion, history, and imagination. These symbols help us understand his ideas about life, death, art, and the future. Symbols made Yeats a great poet.