Question

In his poem "Easter, 1916," does Yeats favor either side in the conflict? If so, which side does he favor? If not, how does he avoid taking sides?

Answer 1

Answer:

William Butler Yeats did support and sympathize with the rebels who "sacrifice" a lot for the cause.

Explanation:

The political poem "Easter, 1916" By William Butler Yeats is one of the most powerful and strong poems ever written by him about the political situation of his country Ireland. This poem in particular dealt with the issues surrounding the Easter Rising of 1916 when rebels revolt against the British government demanding their independence.

The poem talks of how Yeats used to interact with other people but not too close as such. He met them and passed them "with a nod of the head". But we did not find any direct involvement in their cause. But as the poem progresses, we find him more supportive of the cause that the rebels were fighting for. But even though he may have supported the idea of Ireland gaining independence, he still thinks that the sacrifices of the many people was still a "needless death after all".

Yeats may have seemed indifferent to the cause of the Irish people initially but he also seems to view their cause as a positive thing. He called out the "sacrifice" and the "terrible beauty" that has risen from the uprising, making his opinion that he supports the rebels and sympathize with them.

Answer 2

Yeats states that he was not closely acquainted with the people in the Easter Rising. He acknowledges that he only exchanged pleasantries with them before the uprising. He also indicates that he has personal reasons for disliking one person. So he is writing about the cause for which they stood, which, by inference, is important.

The comparison of the rebels to "stone" suggests that Yeats may have viewed the rebels' attitude as inflexible or not adapted to the changing times. Yeats also acknowledges the possibility that their deaths may have been "needless" because the British might keep their promises.

However, his reference to the "sacrifice" (of all who had supported Irish independence) and the rebels' "excess of love" suggest that he views their cause in a positive light. Moreover, Yeats's repeated description of the kind of change that the uprising has brought about as "a terrible beauty" suggests that his sympathies lie with the rebels.

To summarize, Yeats places a certain distance between the rebels and himself, but he supports the rebels' cause.