What Does ‘Byzantium’ Stand for in W. B. Yeats’ Poems?

Premium

What does Byzantium stand for in W B Yeats s poems W B Yeats uses the city of Byzantium as a deep and powerful symbol in his poems Sailing to Byzantium and Byzantium To him it is not just a real place but a land of the spirit This place symbolizes art wisdom purity and eternal peace beyond human suffering Symbol of Spiritual Perfection Yeats views Byzantium as a holy land where the soul is freed from human weakness The city stands for a world of spirit where art and faith triumph over decay In Sailing to Byzantium the poet says And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium It is a place untouched by the chaos of life He wishes to escape from the world of sensual music to this land of eternal rest Symbol of Art and Immortality In Byzantium the

poet finds a world of perfect art The golden bird in the poem sings not of sorrow but of eternal truth It represents art that never grows old or dies In the poem Byzantium the poet says Miracle bird or golden handiwork More miracle than bird or handiwork Planted on the starlit golden bough Yeats believes that through art man can reach immortality Thus Byzantium becomes a symbol of pure timeless beauty Symbol of Purification and Rebirth Byzantium also symbolizes the soul s journey from life to purification The mystic fire on the Emperor s pavement burns the souls of the dead cleansing them of earthly sins This fire represents spiritual rebirth and the purification of human desires In Yeats s poems Byzantium stands as a symbol of perfection art and purity It represents the poet s dream of escaping

Sailing to Byzantium

Contents

What Does ‘Byzantium’ Stand for in W. B. Yeats’ Poems?

Continue Reading

From this writer

William Butler Yeats

More Notes