What is the theme of the poem Byzantium?
What is the theme of the poem Byzantium?
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The main theme of the poem centers around the art of transcendentalism. The poet establishes art as the only immortal aspect which attains perfection in life. By doing so Yeats presents human life as a fleeting temporary thing whereas the art and culture created by them remain forever. Humans aren’t able to achieve the spiritual afterlife that their works are able to do. The human imperfection and the perfectness of art clashes in this poem. The poet wants to convey the message that art lives through and it is only through that they attain immortality. Though the idea is paradoxical as without the very makers art won’t persist, it is the art that outlives the makers in the end. The speaker imagines a journey through the streets of Byzantium and exclaims the wonders of the city. He marvels at the creation pointing out that they are alive whereas their creators are long gone.
Byzantium Summary