A terrible beauty is born (l. 16)

In William Butler Yeats’ poem “Easter, 1916,” he explores the loss of the Irish Republic, trying to determine his own feelings about the results of this rebellion. This is a deeply conflicted poem, and shows Yeats deep sense of dual identity between that of his Irish heritage and growing up in Dublin and his life in London. Several lines highlight the intense discord of the speaker, which feel to have a great deal of Yeats the writer, the man bleeding through. Continue reading “Broken and Confused: “Easter, 1916” by William Yeats” →