Sailing to Byzantium
Poetry
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William Butler Yeats
Sailing to Byzantium Full Poem
I
That is no country for old men. The young
In one another's arms, birds in the trees,
—Those dying generations—at their song,
The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,
Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long
Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.
Caught in that sensual music all neglect
Monuments of unageing intellect.
II
An aged man is but a paltry thing,
A tattered coat upon a stick, un...
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Sailing to Byzantium Key Facts
Key Facts
Full Title: Sailing to Byzantium
Author: William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
Title of the Author: The Last Romantic Poet & Irish National Poet
Prize: Nobel Prize in Literature (1923)
Source: Inspired by Yeats’s reflections on aging, art, and the quest for eternal life and spiritual fulfillment
Written Time: 1927
First Published: First published in the collection “October...
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Sailing to Byzantium Summary
Summary
Stanza 1 – The Pain of an Old Man in the Land of Youth: In this stanza, the poet says he is in a land full of young people. They sing, love, and enjoy nature. The young ones are enjoying life. Birds sing, fish dance in the water, and trees bear fruit. But the poet realizes he has no place in this land. He is old. His body is weak. His soul is in pain. No one values him. His knowledge or e...
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Sailing to Byzantium Themes
Themes
Old Age and Youth: The poet feels unwanted in a land of youth. Young people love life, but ignore the old. Old age is lonely and painful. Yeats says, “This is no country for old men.”
Art vs. Nature: Nature is changing and dies with time. But art is timeless and never dies. The poet wants to leave nature and become art. He believes art gives life meaning.
Desire for Immortality: The...
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Sailing to Byzantium Literary Devices
Figures of Speech
Metaphor: The old man is compared to a torn coat on a stick. It shows that he is weak and useless. This is not a real coat—it's a metaphor for an old body.
Personification: The soul is given human actions like clapping and singing. But souls don’t really do this. So, this is personification.
Imagery: The poet uses visual imagery to show a golden bird made by art. We can pi...
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Sailing to Byzantium Quotes
Quotes
“That is no country for old men.”
Explanation: The poet says young people enjoy love, music, and nature. But they ignore the old. So, the country is not for aged people.
“An aged man is but a paltry thing,
A tattered coat upon a stick.”
Explanation: The poet compares an old man to a weak, useless figure like a coat hanging on a stick.
“Consume my heart away; sick with desire.”
Explan...
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Sailing to Byzantium Character
Characters
The Speaker (Poetic Persona): He is an old man who feels out of place in the world of the young. He wants to leave the physical world and go to a spiritual place—Byzantium—where he can become eternal through art and wisdom.
Young People (The Youth): They enjoy life, love, and nature. But they do not think about death or the soul. They live in the moment and are not concerned with d...
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Notes
Explore 4 detailed notes related to Sailing to Byzantium. Each note provides in-depth analysis, explanations, and critical insights.