Mystical Obsession Of William Butler Yeats In His Poem Sailing To Byzantium

William Butler Yeats the young occultist, politician, a romantic dramatist and a leading figure of Irish Literary Revival was initially introduced to the study and practice of the occult when he was in Art College in Dublin. Yeats deep fascination with the occultism and mysticism and his hunger for the spiritual life led him to devise a new path, new belief systems which could satisfy him. Yeats also developed keen interest for the cause of Irish independence. During his youth he was involved in the study of Theosophy which expanded his interest and participation in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (a mystical secret society). Yeats obsession with the reincarnation, super-natural and communication with the dead also led him to practice ritual magic. Further, Yeats engaged himself in politics when he met beautiful Irish Nationalist and actress, Maud Gonne, who played leading roles in his plays. Yeats fell in love with her and addressed her in much of his love poetry. Later, at the age of fifty-two years he married Georgiana Hyde Lees, who shared his common interest of spirituality. Yeats faith in spiritualty absolved when he found that the actress Mabel Dickinson was not pregnant. She was the one to whom he asked for the advice of the spirit world. Yeats also practiced a spiritual marriage with Maud Gonne.  

The concept of occult and mysticism and Yeats obsession with the search for ideal spirituality in art and life can be explicitly seen in his poetry. It is clear through his poems that he sought to escape temporary and mortal life, he feared the decay of natural world and death. Yeats wanted to live an immortal and spiritual life. Yeats believed in the power of imagination, myth, symbol and creativity so he rejected the realistic and imitative art. Yeats studied mythology, spiritualism, philosophy, theosophy and occultism which led him to think beyond this world and reality. Yeats expresses his deep true feelings in his poems like Sailing to Byzantium. He himself admitted about this poem that I have been writing about the state of my soul…when Irishmen were illuminating the book of Kells and making jeweled croziers…Byzantium was the center of European civilization…so I symbolize the search for the spiritual life by a journey to that city. Yeats desires to be out of nature and wants to be immortal, an eternal form or a crafted work of art. Sailing to Byzantium depicts Yeats metaphorical journey to Byzantium his dream city. The concept of transcendence is beautifully portrayed by the romantic poet. Through this poem Yeats openly expresses his inner feelings of becoming an artifice. With passing age Yeats attachment with the spiritual and artistic ideal increased more rapidly. Byzantium, a Greek colony which later grew into Constantinople, a city of Istanbul was the dream place of Yeats and according to him it was the place where spirit and souls could rest and feel secure. Sailing to Byzantium allows Yeats a form of expressionism and escapism. This poem is admired for its innovative and evocative imagery which clearly enhances Yeats ideas on the earthly realm and his desire for spiritual redemption. The opening lines of the poem.  

That is no country for old men. The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, -Those dying generations- The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten, born, and dies. Through these lines Yeats clearly exhibits his idea that the country where he lives is actually composed of bodily love and it is no more a place for old men. The words old and young show binary between his past and present. He wants to live in past. By those generations he refers to the life cycle of humans, birth and ultimately death. According to his point of view all humans are slaves to this rotating spin wheel of life cycle which ultimately subjects to human death. In these lines Yeats talks about the beauty of earthly things which attract humans and keeps them attracted to this mortal world. He talks about the sensible beauty that how it takes off one from the true path to the transcendental realm.   An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, useless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing. As it is indicated in the first stanza that the old man no longer wants to live with young ones and he wants to escape their world and live in isolation, the second stanza completes his journey of aging process. Words like Paltry thing depicts Yeats idea of mortality and reason for his desire to escape this mortal worldly life. A tattered coat upon a stick, useless emphasize on his age and therefore he wants to escape this world. Through this imaginative and spiritual drive Yeats want to move beyond the binaries and pleasures of earthly beauty. And that why he wants to visit the holy city of Byzantium as he states in the last line of stanza two.  

And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium

As it is clearly mentioned in this poem that for Yeats Byzantium is holy city of peace, harmony and unity and this journey of Yeats is an imaginative journey not the actual one. A journey of his inner-self which could satisfy his imagination and soul. Yeats urge and struggle to get purified can be clearly seen through these phrases like God’s holy fire, consume my heart away, sick with desire and artifice of eternity. Poet wants to live a purified life of spirituality which has no concern with this world, a life which is immortal. Plotinus explains this idea of spirituality by stating that the soul takes life as it approaches God; thus restored it feels that the dispenser of true life is. Stanza three also focuses on the idea of a cleansed heart and soul that when the heart is cleansed from all the worldly desires it enters the phase of spirituality where a man achieves true meaning of life. The poet’s mystical vision is clearly portrayed in this poem, for him Byzantium is holy city where a soul gets purified. In 1931, Yeats wrote that he chose to ‘symbolize the search for the spiritual life by a journey to that city because Byzantium was the center of European civilization. In this poem Yeats contrast the sensuality and the intellectual ideas of life. Yeats' concept of Gyre is very successful in his poetry. Gyre here in this poem Sailing to Byzantium represents spirituality and a complex system of life and spirituality related to each other. He uses this concept to present and map out the incarnation of soul. For Yeats Gyre is a necessary part of growth and decay. Yeats says that the gyres not only mean to present the spin wheel of life and birth but also the rise and fall of civilizations.  Images of birds, fish and young lovers used by the Yeats symbolizes transience and mortality.  On the whole the poem represents the idea of occultism and mysticism and Yeats mystical obsession.