Things fall apart the center cannot hold Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world The lines Things fall apart the center cannot hold Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world are from the poem The Second Coming by W B Yeats This poem was written after World War I a turbulent historical period These lines are often mentioned as one of modern poetry's most famous and frequently quoted Yeats conveys a profound sense of chaos disintegration and societal breakdown in these lines Let's break down the meaning Things fall apart - This phrase indicates a fundamental breakdown or collapse of order and stability It can be deciphered on multiple levels from personal to societal It signifies the disruption of established norms and systems The center cannot hold - This line reveals a loss of balance and cohesion The 'center' means the core or foundation of society and when it cannot