Symbol - "The Second Coming"

-Symbols carry more than just the literal meaning, and point the way to the meaning of the work as a whole. In "The Second Coming," by William Butler Yeats, symbols permiate the poem. One of the most meaningful symbols is the symbol of the Falcons widening gyre. "Turning and turning in the widening gyre." This symbol relates to Yeats' view of society. He feels as though society is spinning downward to the "second coming" of the Messiah. Yeats believes that the "end of the earth" is coming because society has become too corrupt and chaotic. This symbol does not only symbolize how Yeats feels about sociey, but it also symbolizes the poem as a whole. The symbol of the widening gyre is the first line in this poem, and it sets up what is to come. A falcon flying in a spiral downward is a beatiful symbol that Yeats created to reveal his thoughts on how society is being destroyed.