span style="font-weight: 400;">Here, “holy city” means a place where the soul is free. It is full of truth. Here, there are no physical things like the body or beauty. The poet wants to leave the world of youth and enjoy the peace of the soul in Byzantium.

Symbol of Eternal Art and Beauty: Byzantium also stands for art that never dies. The poet wants to escape death. He wants to become a work of art, like a golden bird that sings forever. He says,

“Once out of nature I shall never take 

My bodily form.”

This means he wants to leave his weak old body. He wants to become something beautiful and eternal, like art made of gold. Byzantium is the place where such eternal things are created.

Symbol of Freedom from Old Age and Pain: In real life, the poet feels weak and useless because of old age. But in Byzantium, he can live without pain. He wants to forget his dying body and live as a free soul.  So, Byzantium is a symbol of a better world, free from age, body, and suffering.

In Sailing to Byzantium, Byzantium is not a real place. It is a powerful symbol. It stands for wisdom, art, and eternal life. It is where the soul becomes free and pure forever.