The Symbolism of "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
             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.
             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." Most importantly Yeats introduces the
             need for silence in order for a great thinker to achieve full potential for his
             wisdom. 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
             The second stanza deals with Helen of Troy, whose genius transcends
             from her own mystical beauty which resulted in her capture by the Trojan
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