Questions and Answers
‘Sailing to Byzantium’ by W.B.Yeats was composed probably in ______, and published in Yeats’ collection of poems titled “The Tower” in 1928.
1927
Byzantium was an ancient Greek colony later named Constantinople, which is situated where ______, Turkey, now stands.
Istanbul
While the speaker does take an actual journey to Byzantium, the reader can interpret this journey as a ______ one, perhaps representing the journey of the artist.
metaphorical
In the poem, the speaker feels the country in which he resides is no place for the ______—it is only welcoming to the young and promising.
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The speaker thus decides to travel to Byzantium, and later, to eternity, where age is not an issue, and he will be able to transcend his ______ life.
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Study Notes
Poem Background
- W.B. Yeats' poem "Sailing to Byzantium" was composed in 1927 and published in 1928 in the collection "The Tower".
Byzantium
- Byzantium was an ancient Greek colony later named Constantinople.
- It is situated where Istanbul, Turkey, now stands.
- To the speaker, Byzantium is a spiritual resort.
The Poem's Story
- The poem tells the story of a man traveling to Byzantium.
- The journey can be interpreted as a metaphorical one, representing the journey of the artist.
- The speaker feels that their country is only welcoming to the young and promising.
- The speaker decides to travel to Byzantium, and later, to eternity, where age is not an issue.
Themes
- The poem explores the theme of age and its limitations.
- The speaker seeks to transcend their physical life in eternity.
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Description
Explore the themes and symbolism present in the poem 'Sailing to Byzantium' by W.B. Yeats, which follows the journey of a man to the spiritual realm of Byzantium, interpreted as a metaphorical quest for immortality and artistic perfection.
