Conflicts Between Revelation and Nihilism: Philosophical Anxieties in W. B. Yeats’ The Second Coming
Dr. Waliul Alam
ABSTRACT
This study scrutinizes the philosophical clash
between revelation and nihilism in W.B. Yeats’ poem, The Second
Coming, placing it exactly within the turmoil and intellectual
upheaval of the post - World War I period. Through a detailed
scrutiny of the text and engagement with Yeats’ symbolic framework
in A Vision, the study posits that the poem reveals a momentous
tension between the hope for divine revelation and the looming sense
of an existential void. While the poem draws upon Christian
apocalyptic imagery and looks forward to a “Second Coming,” it
eventually undermines any redemptive expectations through the
jarring image of the “rough beast,” highlighting the anxieties
surrounding the collapse of moral and spiritual certainties. By
referencing modernist perspectives and nihilistic philosophies,
particularly concerning the fading of conventional belief systems,
the research demonstrates how Yeats reinterprets apocalyptic
revelation as a symbol of uncertainty instead of salvation. In the
end, the poem conveys the continuing struggle of modern humanity to
balance the longing for transcendence with the harsh reality of
meaninglessness.
Keywords: Nihilism, Existentialism, Anxiety, Philosophy,
Christianity, Conflicts.
