The Gyres
Poetry
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William Butler Yeats
The Gyres Full Poem
The gyres! the gyres! Old Rocky Face, look forth;
Things thought too long can be no longer thought,
For beauty dies of beauty, worth of worth,
And ancient lineaments are blotted out.
Irrational streams of blood are staining earth;
Empedocles has thrown all things about;
Hector is dead and there's a light in Troy;
We that look on but laugh in tragic joy.What matter though numb nightmare ride on top...
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The Gyres Key Facts
Key Facts
Full Title: The Gyres
Author: W. B. Yeats
Written: c. 1925 (after A Vision)
Theme: The cyclical rise and fall of civilizations and spiritual epochs.
Form: Lyric poem; symbolic and philosophical in tone.
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The Gyres Summary
Summary
Beginning of the Poem: Yeats begins the poem with a loud call: “The Gyres! The Gyres! Old Rocky Face, look forth!” He calls upon an ancient figure, like a god or spirit, to witness the turning of the world. The poet believes that old ideas and values are dying. The world has reached the end of one great cycle. Everything that was once beautiful or valuable is now fading. The poet says, “Be...
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The Gyres Theme
Themes
Cyclical Nature of History: Yeats shows that history moves in endless cycles called “gyres.” Every civilization rises, reaches greatness, and then falls, only to be reborn again. Destruction and renewal are parts of the same eternal rhythm.
Destruction as Renewal: The poem teaches that destruction is not the end but a beginning. Even when chaos rules, a new order is being born. Yeats...
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