The darkness drops again; but now I know That twenty centuries of stony sleep Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle, And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker recalls how twenty centuries of peace were disturbed by war and now fears a new monstrous force emerging to change the world.
- In plain terms
- History repeats with violence, and something wild is coming to be born.
- What can you take from it?
- Watch for signs of major change when old orders fall.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What does the beast represent to you?
- How do you react to inevitable change?
Another view
The imagery is cryptic and allows many conflicting interpretations.
More from William Butler Yeats
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