Role of the Sphinx

 

"The Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats is a complex and symbolic poem that reflects the poet's anxieties about the state of the world during the aftermath of World War I. The sphinx in the poem plays a significant role in contributing to the overall ambiguity and symbolism.

In the poem, the sphinx is mentioned in the lines:

Surely some revelation is at hand;

Surely the Second Coming is at hand.

The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out

When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi

Troubles my sight: somewhere in the sands of the desert

A shape with a lion's body and the head of a man,

A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,

Is moving its slow thighs, while all around it

Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.

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?"

 

• The sphinx in this context is a symbolic representation of a destructive force that is awakening. The sphinx traditionally represents mystery, enigma, and the unknown. It is a creature with a human head and a lion's body, often depicted as posing riddles. In the poem, the sphinx becomes a metaphor for the chaotic and tumultuous times that Yeats envisions.

 

• The ambiguity in the symbolism of the sphinx lies in its dual nature. On one hand, it represents a force that brings revelation and change, as suggested by "Surely some revelation is at hand" and "The Second Coming." On the other hand, it embodies a destructive and menacing force, as seen in the description of its "gaze blank and pitiless as the sun" and the unsettling imagery of the desert birds and shadows.

 

• The sphinx's movement "slouching towards Bethlehem to be born" adds to the ambiguity. Bethlehem traditionally signifies the birthplace of Jesus Christ, but in the context of the poem, it becomes a symbol of a new era or a new order. The "rough beast" slouching toward Bethlehem creates a sense of foreboding and suggests a malevolent force bringing about a transformation that might not be positive.

 

In summary, the sphinx in "The Second Coming" contributes to the overall ambiguity by embodying both positive and negative aspects. It symbolizes the dual nature of the changes the poet anticipates, capturing the uncertainty and fear associated with a world in upheaval. The sphinx, with its enigmatic and contradictory qualities, adds layers of meaning to the poem, leaving the interpretation open to various possibilities and contributing to the poem's enduring mystique.

-Thank you