Introduction
The poem “Sailing to Byzantium” by William Butler Yeats is a message about the need to remain a creative and spiritual human despite difficulties. Yeats’ poem functions in many ways as a Christian witness. The masterpiece involves the themes of mortality and eternity and applies Christian imagery, allusions, and exploration of the soul’s journey toward union with God.
Discussion
The poem’s central theme of mortality and eternity reflects the Christian belief in the body’s mortality and the soul’s eternity. Yeats’ protagonist is a weary old man pondering the fate of his body and soul (Study Smarter, n.d.). He dreams of sailing to Byzantium, a city that symbolizes an eternal paradise and of being transformed into a work of art, a symbol of the transfiguration of the soul into a higher and more perfect form.
A similar belief about the immortality of the soul is depicted in the Scriptures, “He who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save (“sozo”) his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20) Such an approach shows the Christian belief that the soul is immortal and lives with God after the physical death of the body.
Yeats’ poem is also full of Christian imagery and allusions. The speaker’s path to Byzantium evokes the Biblical story of the Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land, a metaphor for the soul’s journey to the Kingdom of Heaven. Imagery is predicted in the following parts: “In one another’s arms, birds in the trees,” “O sages standing in God’s holy fire,” and “Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing” (Yeats, 2020). “Sailing to Byzantium” explores the soul’s journey toward union with God. The speaker is seeking a higher and more perfect form of life, and his journey to Byzantium is a metaphor for his search for spiritual enlightenment and union with God.
Conclusion
The analyzed poem is a powerful Christian tool to fulfill the Great Commission of Christians. Its themes of mortality and eternity, religious symbolism, references to Christianity, and the examination of the soul’s path to spiritual union with God all speak to the Christian faith. The poem’s description of the speaker’s transformation into a work of art can also be seen as a metaphor for the transformation of the soul in Christ. These approaches can be used to spread the Gospel and bring people to Christ.
References
Study Smarter. (n.d.). Sailing to Byzantium: Meaning & analysis. StudySmarter UK. Web.
The Bible Says. (n.d.). The Bible. “James 5:19-20”. TheBibleSays. Web.
Yeats, W. B. (2020). Sailing to Byzantium by William Butler Yeats. Poetry Foundation. Web.