Yeats Long Legged Fly
In his poem "Long Legged Fly", William Butler Yeats, examines the notion of human genius, and its many aspects. The apparent theme that Yeats attempts to show is that peacefulness is required in order for one to utilize their genius ability. The title itself, "Long Legged Fly", has a symbolic meaning. It is a metaphor for a tranquil and clear state of mind, which is a key ingredient to enhance genius. The people who posses this ability have a power that extends above and beyond the ordinary. They appear to hover in a separate world of their own in the same way that the fly glides effortlessly over water. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each presents a different example of human genius from history and contrasts the similarities
It is with this aspect that Yeats commands "move most gently if you must", signifying the importance of a calm and tranquil environment for her state of mind. The first stanza talks about Julius Caesar, a great political and military genius of who was responsible for the expansion of the early Roman empire. This seems to be Yeats' central idea to developing genius. Yeats concludes this stanza with the same line stated earlier, "like a long legged fly upon the stream his mind moves upon silence. " The third an final stanza describes yet another kind of genius, that of the famous artist Michaelangelo who painted the Sistine Chapel. Yeats describes Michaelangelo as having an almost supernatural ability from which he is inspired by visions which enable him to create his magnificent painting. The obvious theme that is emphasized throughout the poem is the need for peace and tranquillity of mind. The first line of this stanza, "that the topless towers be burnt", represents the downfall of Troy at the end of the war when Helen was finally freed and reunited with her husband King Menelaus of Sparta. " The children must me removed because they present a distraction to Michalangelo completing his work. Here he stresses to the reader to "quiet the dog, tether the pony to a distant post" because these noisy disturbances may interfere with Caesars genius ability, for "like a long legged fly upon the stream, his mind moves upon silence. However, in his poem Yeats does not focus on Caesar as a warrior, instead he introduces him as a thinker, one who's tactical skills are not derived from his actions but from his own careful thought and intellect as "his mind is fixed upon nothing, a hand under his head. Similarly, as in the previous two stanzas, Yeats again expresses the need for peace. " The second stanza deals with Helen of Troy, whose genius transcends from her own mystical beauty which resulted in her capture by the Trojan prince Paris, marking the beginning of the Trojan war.
Common topics in this essay:
Julius Caesar,
Chapel Yeats,
Legged Fly,
Sparta Helen's,
Helen Troy,
Butler Yeats,
legged fly,
human genius,
mind moves silence,
legged fly stream,
fly stream mind,
example human genius,
stream mind moves,
fly stream,
stream mind,
moves silence,
example human,
genius ability,
mind moves,
|
Acceptance Essays
