Sailing to Byzantium by W. B. Yeats Review

I forget why but I came across William Butler Yeats’ poem The Second Coming recently and was quite taken with it. I’d never read it before but recognised several lines and was surprised they all came from this short poem. Here’s some you too might know:

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre… Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; … The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity… And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, / Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?”

The whole poem is incredible and I read it several times. I’m not a poem guy so I took this to be an encouraging sign - maybe finally I’d be able to read an entire book of poetry that I’d like! Maybe Yeats was my dude??

I plumped for the “Penguin Archive” edition of Sailing to Byzantium, which is a new range of cute, affordable and stylish Penguin paperbacks of short works by famous names in the Penguin archives - 90 titles celebrating 90 years. Encouraging still: the bookshop I bought it at had a few shelves of these editions, each title several books deep - except Yeats. I literally bought the last copy in the store. Other people must know, I bethought. He’s a good ‘un.

Well, yes and no. He probably is a great poet - I’m no good judge of poetry, having read so little of it - but I’m just not a poem kinda beast, I’m afraid. The Second Coming is a remarkable poem but nothing else in this book had the same impact on me. I tried. There’s a lot of fantastical allusions in here. Some nice turns of phrase. But nothing that moved - moves, still - me like that poem that drew me to Yeats to start with.

So if you read The Second Coming like me and expected a book of bangers like that… nah. Sailing to Byzantium does not have that much more to offer beyond that one standout work. One day I might read a book of poetry I’ll enjoy. And so off I slouch, to my usual non-poetical readings…