The poem "No Second
Troy" is about the love
relationship between the poet and Maud Gonne, a very beautiful Irish woman.
W.B. Yeats wrote this poem after Gonne had rejected his proposal on numerous
occasions. Yeats was obsessed with her, pursued her for over a decade, and
dedicated many poems to her. The following article includes a summary,
analysis, and question answer of the poem No Second Troy.
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No Second Troy by William Butler Yeats
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Why should I blame her that she filled my days With misery, or that she would of late Have taught to ign rant men most violent ways, Or hurled the little streets upon the great, Had they but courage equal to desire? What could have made her peaceful with a mind That nobleness made simple as a fire, With beauty like a tightened bow, a kind That is not natural in an age like this, Being high and solitary and most stern? Why, what could she have done, being what she is? Was there another Troy for her to burn? |
About the poet William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an
Irish poet, dramatist, and prose writer and one of the foremost figures of
20th-century literature.
As an Irish poet, he has
shown great honor to his country and people. Before 1900, Yeats was a mystic,
dreamy, and magical poet. He has written symbolic poems and made use of melody
as a singer. In the beginning, he wrote romantic poems, but after 1900, he
wrote realistic poems. He wrote patriotic and philosophical poems after 1900.
His poems deal with universal brotherhood, natural beauty, sentimental
simplicity, suffering, sorrow, and heroism, among other things. His main
subject was the way in which the world and the people in it are divided, and
how they can be made whole.
Character in the poem to remember
Maud Gonne
Maud Gonne was an Irish
(citizen of Ireland) woman, Irish republican revolutionary, and actress. She
was a very beautiful lady, like Helen. She was the one whom William Butler
Yeats loved intensely. But she rejected his marriage proposals. Later, she
married John MacBride in 1903, leaving the poet. Hence, in this poem, Yeats has
shown his anger and frustration towards her.
Background of the poem No Second Troy
The poem was written in 1916,
during the Irish Revolution. The poem was written after Maud Gonne turned down
William Butler Yeats' marriage proposal and married military leader John
MacBride.
In the poem "No Second
Troy," the word Troy has great significance. Long ago, a beautiful woman
named Helen came to Troy with the prince of Troy. She was in love with him, but
she was already married to the king of Sparta, Menelaus. Later, he came to
Troy, asking Paris to return Helen to him. But he refused to do so. Then a war
named the Trojan War began, which resulted in the destruction of Troy.
Theme of the poem "No Second Troy"
The poem's theme is Maud
Gonne's love and blame. It also refers to the poet's homeland's struggle for
independence.
Summary of the poem "No Second Troy"
In this poem, William Butler
asks a rhetorical question (a question asked in order to create a dramatic
effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer), asking why he should blame
her for making his life full of sorrows. He mentions that Maud Gonne was
diverting people toward violence against Britain. Maud Gonne is accused of
inciting class warfare by William Butler.
Maud Gonne has also been
praised by William Butler for her beautiful, courageous, noble, and peaceful
nature.
William Butler was a
non-violence supporter and wanted to make Ireland an independent country
without any violence. But Maud Gonne was in favor of violence.
As a result, William compared
Maud Gonne to Helen of Troy and his homeland to Troy, and he feared that his
homeland would be destroyed. So, he asks, "Was there another Troy for her
to burn?" and doesn’t want any violence against Britain.
No Second Troy [Points to Remember]
- No Second Troy is a strong call towards peace leaving the violent way of destruction appealing no beauty like Helen of Troy from Gonne that causes the destruction of another beauty.
- In the poem, W.B. Yeats accuses Maud Gonne for class warfare.
- The poet thinks that the lady has an old-school quality and belongs to another age.
- Troy city has been used as a symbol in the poem.
- Through the poem, the poet evaluates the power of common folk and their desire to overthrow British rule in Ireland.
- “No Second Troy” reveals the effect of beauty and insists that over beauty of woman is considered to be a symbol of destruction.
FAQ [No Second Troy questions and answers]
When
was "No Second Troy" written?
No
Second Troy was written in 1910 in the collection "The Green Helmet and
Other Poems." W.B. Yeats wrote this poem after Gonne had rejected his
proposal on numerous occasions.
What
is No Second Troy about?
No
Second Troy about the love relationship between the poet W.B. Yeats and Maud
Gonne, a very beautiful Irish woman.
Did
Troy lose the Trojan War?
Yes,
Troy lost the war. The Greeks won the Trojan War.
Who
wrote the poem No Second Troy?
W.B.
Yeats wrote the poem "No Second Troy."
What
is the tone of No Second Troy?
W.B.
Yeats is heartbroken by love, so Second Troy has a passive-aggressive tone.
Who is referred to as
"her" in the poem No Second Troy?
Maud
Gonne, who rejected Yeats' proposal on numerous occasions, is referred to as
"her" in the poem No Second Troy.
What is the significance of the
title no second troy?
Since the poet W.B. Yeats was a peace lover, he never wanted any violence to take place in Ireland. The way Troy was destroyed because of the beauty of Helen, Yeats doesn’t want Ireland to be destroyed by the beautiful lady called Maud Gonne.