Tuesday, 24 May 2011

W. B. Yeats: Some Revelation Is At Hand

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Storm clouds dwarf a farm near Lamar, Missouri as the sun sets, 22 May 2011. The storm earlier produced a large tornado that moved through much of Joplin, Missouri: photo by Charlie Riedel/AP
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;








A shelf cloud containing a thunderstorm approaches a tornado-ravaged neighborhood in Joplin, Missouri, 23 May 2011: photo by Charlie Riedel/AP

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.







Emergency workers wait for a medical team after finding a body in a tornado-ravaged car in Joplin, Missouri, 22 May 2011: photo by Charlie Riedel/AP
W. B Yeats: The Second Coming, 1919 (lines 1-3, 9-10)
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4 comments:

  1. STEPHEN RATCLIFFE24 May 2011 at 06:42

    Tom,

    Great lines in relation to these photos -- and what went turning and turning through Joplin two days ago. . . .


    5.24

    pink clouds in pale blue sky above still
    black ridge, white half moon by branches
    in foreground, waves sounding in channel

    between present that elapsed
    and present, not only

    that, where necessary, other
    not “pictorial world”

    line of white water breaking in channel,
    3 pelicans flapping across toward point

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  2. Barry Taylor24 May 2011 at 09:44

    Images like these, the terrifying footage on yesterday's news of the tornado in action - I get glimpses of how an environment such as this might well breed the likes of the apocalyptic Mr Camping.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous24 May 2011 at 16:19

    As the expression goes: What Stephen said. What Barry said is really interesting also; I'd never considered that.

    ReplyDelete
  4. TC25 May 2011 at 06:43

    In this biblical landscape airborne apocalyse is deja vu all over again. Who knows what rough beast is e'en now slouching toward Oakland to be born.

    ReplyDelete