Sailing to Byzantium

The poem contrasts the lush vibrancy of youth with the decay and imminence of death in old age. There is a palpable longing for the carefree days of youth, with its warm embraces and the happy sounds and abundance of nature. Paradoxically, however, these images of life bring sadness to the old man who has nearly completed the journey of his life; his ôvoyageö to the holy city of Byzantium, representing the afterlife, is at an end, and Byzantium stands before him.

Rather than feeling relieved that he is about to pass into a better world or satisfied that he has accomplished great things, the poet instead addresses the sages ôstanding in GodÆs holy fireö and invites them to ôConsume my heart away; sick with desire And fastened to a dying animal.ö With deep sadness, the poet relinquishes his life to ôt

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Some common words found in the essay are:
Byzantiumö Excellent, Retrieved March, ôsailing byzantiumö, William Butler, , real life, vision afterlife, sadness real, deep sadness, devoid life,
Approximate Word count = 777
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page)

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