Mythical Elements in Yeats The Second Coming, Leda and The Swan and No second Troy.

Introduction
Yeats Modernist Poet. Located In Irish Revolution A situation of turmoil and uprising. Uses Myths to recreate the bygone past- to comment on the present. Maintains a LIBERAL position does not come up with any solutions- a projection of the contradiction between the contemporary and the myths. Referred to as Escapist portrays the disjunction in the society using the myths.

Uses the structure and the ability of the myths to change in socio-cultural contexts uses this characteristic to question the preconceived notion about revolution and the association of Divinity with Fight for Motherland Also, evokes the memory of the past to convey to them the turbulent present.

Poems in our context NST, L&S and TSC- Use of myths to comment on the turbulent situation. Revisits the past not very supportive of the youth revolution- a supporter of stability against violence and wars. Myths assume the form of a glorious past elaborates upon them to question the whole idea of revolution.

Poems in context The Second Coming Written in 1919 Ireland in midst of a revolution and attempting to breakout from England Yeats uses the Christian Mythology and uses the myth of Second Coming of Christ after every 2000 Years to redeem people. Tries to evoke the memory of Christ among the people at the same time, inverts the whole myth to portray the situation of conflict in the society. Instead of Christ- a Sphynx like figure invokes Terror, Fear which clearly stand opposite the Graceful figure of Christ in the conceived myth. Through Sphynx talks about the hypo critic nature of the religion. Inverted myth description of not the redemptive nature of religion but the face which invade the religious beliefs and faith of the people and forced them to adopt other myths. Plays with the myth to throw light not only on the political turbulence but also on the Religious hypocrisy of the time. Yeats had given up the Christian Beliefs and had taken to other cults a disarray which is visible in the poem tries to depict the religious

exploitation of people when Political Power combined with Religion to gain foothold over the populace.

Focus not only on the Christian Myths also on the lesser known myths The Falcon cannot hear the falconer the cltic myth that the falconer is the center of power. However if the falcon does not respond to the cries of the falconer, he has lost its position - uses the myth to talk about the failure of the Political Heads in keeping the young Irish blood under control.

Also overturning of the whole mythical jubilation and celebration associated with the birth of Christ in The Second Coming. Uses the myth as it is only inverts the figure of Christ which in turn alters the myth. Birth of Christ replaced by birth of sphinx like figure and jubilation replaced by fear, barrenness, terror and silence.

Leda and the Swan In L&S, Yeats goes back to the Greek Mythology the myth of creation as yeats saw it nothing happy about this creation a violent myth Leda raped by Zeus birth of Helen and Pollux, Clytemnestra and Castor. A different perception to the myth. Similarity between this myth of creation and Irish revolution both initiate the creation with a violent encounter in which the oppressed is uneard and misunderstood. The poem describes the whole story of the destruction of Troy as part seduction and part rape yeats understands the helplessness of leda No revolt from her side Yeats does not blame Leda for Helen rather he inverts the whole myth and shifts the focus from Helen and Clytemnestra to the act of rape of Leda by Zeus. A critical commentary on the conceived notion about the myth of creation and religion WISDOM SUBDUED BEAUTY AND PASSION. Yeats however does include the fact that t was not absolute rape it was also in some ways seduction Ledas resignation and absent voice become nods of approval. The farcical face of Religion which joined hands with the political powers in order to maintain control over people of a country comes to fore puts an impetus upon the reader the whole myth and rethink the whle myth not as beginning of a civilization but as a violent encounter between a mortal and divine. Poem bases itself on the knowledge of the reader about the myth does not name either Zeus or Leda or Helen lends a sense of universality and timelessness which makes it relevant even today.

No Second Troy Like in L&S, yeats does not name any mythic character he supposes that myth is known t the reader NST is more of a personal monologue as well as a comment on the political scenario of the time. Uses the reference of Helen to point towards his own obsession with Maud Gonne and the passionate impulse of the Irish Youth for their country and for their own self. Does not burden Helen or MG for destruction or the passions which they aroused- instead, he takes it to be a part of their personality. (Why, what could she have done, being what she is?) Drives back the conventional segregation of women either as Madonna or as Whore. The myth of Helen- manifested in Maud Gonne both being referred to as enchantresses and set on pedestal as manifestations of unparalleled beauty which brought about the aspect of violence in the personalities of men. A poem which uses myth about Helen in a personal manner and reveals his personal attraction with MG and its aftereffects.

CONCLUSION Myths a careful use yeats does ot challenge any authority neither does he provide any solution. Depicts the turbulence as it was. Three poems uses myths ot only to describe only one thing variance from The political situations to Religious hypocrisy to his own personal life Myths help Yeats in effectively universalising his poems and grant a sense of timelessness.