৪৯তম বিসিএস ⎯ ইংরেজি [১২১]

William Butler Yeats was born on June 13, 1865 in Dublin, Ireland to John Butler Yeats and Susan (Pollexfen) Yeats. Because his mother was from Sligo, which is west of Ireland, Yeats spent a great deal of his childhood there (Norton 2019). Yeats was educated in London and in Dublin, but he spent his summers in the west of Ireland in the family’s summer house at Connaught. The young Yeats was very much part of the fin de siècle in London; at the same time he was active in societies that attempted an Irish literary revival.
Source: Nobel Prize Organization

The woman was Maud Gonne, a prominent Irish nationalist and activist who was the unrequited love of W.B. Yeats's life and a constant muse for his poetry for over 20 years. Gonne repeatedly rejected Yeats's marriage proposals, yet their complex relationship served as a profound source of inspiration for many of his most famous verses, establishing her as a figure of primary poetic radiance.   
Irish nationalist and activist:  Gonne was deeply involved in Irish politics and civil rights, a cause that also influenced Yeats's own political views.  
Actress and philanthropist: She also had a career as an actress and was known for her philanthropic work.

Yeats's early poetry is largely characterized by its use of Irish mythology and folklore, a romantic aesthetic, and a dreamy quality, often drawing from Celtic legends and traditions. That's why  option C) Romantic, Celtic mythology, and folklore is the correct answer. 

Yeats's political views shifted throughout his life, but he was primarily focused on Irish nationalism and later developed an interest in more authoritarian forms of governance, which are incompatible with socialist ideals.
While he initially had some contact with socialist ideas through figures like William Morris, this influence was brief and did not become a prominent or enduring theme in his work. 
 
Why other options are incorrect
ক) Irish mythology and history: Yeats was a central figure in the Irish Literary Revival and heavily incorporated Irish myths, legends, and history into his poetry and plays.
গ) The contrast between art and life: This is a significant theme, especially evident in poems where he explores the relationship between the eternal nature of art and the transience of human existence.
ঘ) Aging and mortality: Yeats frequently contemplated themes of aging, the passage of time, and the inevitability of death in his later poetry. 

The central conflict that influenced Yeats's personal and political life was (গ) Both a and b, meaning both Irish independence from Britain and religious conflict in Ireland.

Yeats was deeply involved in the Irish Literary Revival, which sought to foster a sense of Irish national identity and culture as part of the broader movement for independence. He was a senator of the Irish Free State and witnessed firsthand the political turmoil and violence that accompanied the struggle for self-rule.

Additionally, religious divisions, particularly between Protestants and Catholics, played a significant role in Irish society and politics during his lifetime. While Yeats himself was Protestant, he was deeply interested in Irish mythology and folklore, often seeking to bridge divides through a shared cultural heritage. His works often reflect the complex interplay of these political and religious tensions.

A famous example of Yeats's use of cyclical history and symbolism is (গ) "The Second Coming."

This poem, written in the aftermath of World War I and the Irish War of Independence, famously articulates a vision of history as a series of cycles, each culminating in a catastrophic "rough beast" or new epoch. The poem's imagery of a "gyre" widening and things falling apart, combined with its prophetic tone, perfectly encapsulates Yeats's philosophical ideas about historical recurrence and the symbolic collapse of one era into the next.

The central concern of the poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" is (গ) Yearning for peace and simplicity.
The speaker expresses a deep desire to escape the urban environment and return to the tranquil, natural setting of Innisfree, where they imagine building a cabin, growing beans, and living a life of quiet solitude amidst nature's sounds. It's a quintessential poem of escapism and a longing for a pastoral ideal.

The historical event addressed in Yeats's poem "Easter, 1916" is the failed Easter Rising of 1916. The poem is a reflection on the armed insurrection launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Dublin during Easter Week of that year. 
The event: During the rebellion, Irish nationalists seized important buildings in Dublin and proclaimed the Irish Republic. The uprising lasted six days but was ultimately suppressed by the British Army, and most of its leaders were executed.
Yeats's conflicted emotions: While Yeats was a nationalist, he was not in favor of violence and was initially dismissive of some of the revolutionaries. The executions, however, profoundly affected him and the Irish public, galvanizing support for the cause of independence.
The poem's content: "Easter, 1916" explores Yeats's mixed feelings—his sadness over the loss of life and his admiration for the rebels' bravery, which he famously encapsulates in the line, "A terrible beauty is born". He names several of the executed leaders in the poem, including Patrick Pearse, Thomas MacDonagh, and John MacBride. 

- This line vividly expresses a sense of disintegration and chaos, reflecting the poem's central theme of a world on the brink of collapse and the breakdown of established order.
It refers to the failure of foundational structures—be they societal, political, or moral—to maintain stability, leading to anarchy. 
 
Why other options are incorrect
ক) "Romantic Ireland's dead and gone": This famous line comes from Yeats's poem "September 1913".
খ) "I will arise and go now": This well-known line is from Yeats's poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree".
ঘ) "What is this life if, full of care": This line is from the poem "Leisure" by W.H. Davies. 

In "The Lake Isle of Innisfree," the speaker primarily wishes to build a small cabin of clay and wattles. 
This is a central detail in the first stanza of the poem, where the speaker imagines his simple, self-sufficient life on the island:
"I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made".

“Evenings full of the linnet’s wings” means B) linnets flying in the evening sky.

Linnets are small birds, and the phrase evokes the visual image and perhaps the gentle sound of these birds moving through the air in the peaceful twilight hours.

In "The Lake Isle of Innisfree," the speaker plans to have nine bean-rows. This is mentioned in the first stanza, where he describes the simple life he will lead on the island: 
"Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade." 

The correct answer is গ) Peace and tranquility. Innisfree is consistently portrayed in Yeats's poem as an ideal, serene escape from the noise and drabness of city life. 
Here's why Innisfree evokes peace and tranquility:
Sensory Imagery: The speaker envisions a cabin, bees, and the "peace that comes dropping slow". He hears the "lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore" and sees a night that is "all a glimmer," all of which evoke a sense of calm and serenity.
Contrast with the City: The speaker explicitly contrasts Innisfree's natural world with his current surroundings, which he describes as the "roadway, or on the pavements grey". This highlights the city's chaotic and mundane nature, further emphasizing the peace he longs for.
A Sanctuary for the Soul: The poem ends with the speaker hearing the sounds of Innisfree in his "deep heart's core". This suggests that Innisfree represents not just a physical location, but a spiritual and emotional sanctuary where he can find inner peace. 

The speaker's ultimate desire by going to Innisfree is b) To escape the noise and artificiality of city life. He longs for a simple, solitary life in nature, which he can contrast with the bustling, gray urban environment he currently inhabits. 
This desire is driven by several related factors: 
A search for peace: The speaker explicitly states, "And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow". He craves the deep tranquility that Innisfree's natural rhythms provide.
Nostalgia for a simpler time: The island is based on a real location from Yeats's childhood, and the poem reflects a longing for a more authentic, pre-industrial way of life.
Yearning for a spiritual connection: The speaker is drawn to the profound and healing power of nature, finding a sense of peace that city life cannot provide.
The power of memory: Even while standing on the "roadway, or on the pavements grey," he can hear the low lapping of the lake water "in the deep heart's core". This shows that his desire is deeply rooted in his emotional being and memory. 

- The phrase "peace comes dropping slow" is an example of personification. 
Personification is a literary device where a human quality or action is given to an abstract idea or an inanimate object.
In this case, the abstract idea of "peace" is described as if it were a living thing with the ability to "come" and "drop" slowly.
This creates a vivid image of peace gently settling upon the island, in contrast to the harsh, fast-paced nature of the city. 

The "veils of the morning" is a metaphorical description. It suggests about the morning on Innisfree (গ) That the morning is gentle, misty, and perhaps a little mysterious.

"Veils" typically implies something thin, soft, and partially obscuring, creating a sense of delicate beauty and a subtle, ethereal quality to the morning light and atmosphere.

In “Easter 1916” the famous refrain "All changed, changed utterly: A terrible beauty is born" functions primarily as: (গ) A paradox that captures the complex, ambivalent nature of the rebellion's outcome.

The phrase combines "terrible" (suggesting destruction, death, and tragic loss) with "beauty" (suggesting nobility, sacrifice, and the birth of a new, albeit hard-won, national identity). This paradox perfectly encapsulates Yeats's conflicted feelings about the Easter Rising – acknowledging the profound and violent transformation while also recognizing the heroic, almost sublime, aspect of the rebels' actions and their impact on Irish history.

In “Easter 1916” , Yeats lists several individuals involved in the Rising. The primary literary device at play when he describes them as having been transformed by their dedication to the cause is (ক) Metaphor.

While symbolism is used throughout the poem (e.g., the "stone" symbolizing unwavering purpose), the description of the individuals themselves being "changed, changed utterly" or their "hearts with one purpose alone / Through summer and winter seem / Enchanted to a stone" is a metaphorical transformation. Their dedication is so profound that it has fundamentally altered their very being, rather than simply making them like something else.

Ambivalence: The speaker feels conflicting emotions. He is in awe of the rebels' steadfast sacrifice (symbolized by the "stone") but also deeply troubled by the human cost of that dedication. His questioning shows that he hasn't fully reconciled his feelings.
Poignant Doubt: The lines "Was it needless death after all?" and "And what if England may keep faith?" show his profound uncertainty about whether the rebellion was truly necessary. England had postponed Home Rule, leading some to believe they might have received independence without a bloody uprising. This doubt, combined with his reflection on the rebels' transformed nature and tragic deaths, makes his questioning deeply moving and sorrowful. 

The line "Hearts with one purpose alone" is part of a larger motif of singularity of purpose, which Yeats repeatedly explores in the poem.
The idea of the rebels being entirely consumed by their goal is linked to the central symbol of the unmoving stone in the stream, which appears later in the same stanza.
By emphasizing that the rebels had "one purpose alone," Yeats highlights their immense dedication and unwavering commitment to Irish independence, which distinguishes them from the "casual comedy" of everyday life. 

The pivotal rhetorical question in "Easter, 1916", "Was it needless death after all?" serves to c)  introduce the speaker's profound doubt and the enduring ambiguity of the rebellion's cost and ultimate value. 
Profound Doubt: The question, posed by a speaker with conflicted feelings, is not meant to be answered. Instead, it captures Yeats's inner turmoil and honest uncertainty about the Rising. While he acknowledges the courage and transformation of the rebels, he can't help but question if such a bloody sacrifice was truly the only path to change, especially given that Home Rule had already been promised.
Enduring Ambiguity: Rather than offering a simple verdict, the rhetorical question keeps the poem's central paradox unresolved. The "terrible beauty" of the event remains a complex and lasting legacy, forcing the reader to also confront the difficulty of judging an act that was both tragic and transformative.
Rejection of Simplistic Views: The line explicitly counters any simplistic narrative of the rebels as unambiguous heroes or martyrs. It acknowledges their humanity and the possibility that their passion, or "excess of love," may have led them astray. This emotional honesty is what gives the poem its lasting power and resonance. 

The opening lines of "The Second Coming" state: "Turning and turning in the widening gyre / The falcon cannot hear the falconer".
In this symbolism, the falcon represents humanity, which has spun out of control and away from its handler, the falconer, who represents traditional order, religion, or authority.
The image of the falcon's inability to hear the falconer's call effectively symbolizes the breakdown of communication and the loss of a guiding force in the world, leading to chaos. 

According to "The Second Coming," the concept that is "loosed upon the world" when "Things fall apart" is c) Anarchy. 
The line in the poem is: "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; / Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world".
Yeats uses this line to convey a sense of a complete breakdown of established order and societal norms, plunging the world into chaos and disorder.
The phrase was written in 1919, in the aftermath of World War I, reflecting the anxieties of a world that seemed to be unraveling. 

সঠিক উত্তর: খ) The collective unconscious  ও ঘ) Spiritus Mundi
অপশনে দ্বৈত উত্তর থাকায় প্রশ্নটি বাতিল করা হলো।
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Spiritus Mundi: This is a Latin term, developed by Yeats as part of his elaborate mystical system, which translates to "world spirit". It represents a collective unconscious or universal memory from which poets and prophets can draw symbolic images and visions.
The speaker's vision: The line "When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi / Troubles my sight" directly attributes the vision of the sphinx-like beast to this shared spiritual source, rather than a divine one.
A contrast with Christian tradition: In Yeats's version of the Second Coming, the ominous vision does not come from a traditional heaven, but from the combined memory and spirit of all humankind. This suggests that the coming catastrophe is a consequence of humanity's own history and actions, not an external divine judgment. 

The "shape with lion body and the head of a man" is indeed an allusion to the Sphinx.

The Sphinx is a mythical creature, most famously associated with ancient Egyptian and Greek mythology. In Egyptian mythology, the Great Sphinx of Giza has the body of a lion and the head of a human (often a pharaoh), symbolizing power and wisdom. In Greek mythology, the Sphinx was often depicted with the body of a lion, the head of a woman, and sometimes the wings of a bird, and was infamous for posing riddles to travelers.

In Yeats's "The Second Coming," this image of the Sphinx evokes a sense of ancient, powerful, and mysterious force, signaling a monumental and perhaps terrifying shift in civilization, rising from the "Spiritus Mundi" (collective soul of the world) to herald a new, brutal era.

The "rough beast" in "The Second Coming" is said to be "slouching towards d) Bethlehem to be born". 
Symbolic location: Yeats's use of Bethlehem is a powerful and unsettling subversion of Christian tradition.
Inversion of Christ's birth: Bethlehem was the birthplace of Jesus, so by having this "rough beast"—a symbol of a dark, new age—slouch towards the same place, Yeats suggests a perverse inversion of the Second Coming.
End of a historical cycle: This imagery implies that the new, chaotic era is replacing the Christian age, which began with a birth in Bethlehem two thousand years earlier. 

Ominous: The poem is filled with a sense of impending doom and foreboding. It was written in 1919, in the chaotic aftermath of World War I, and captures Yeats's deep anxieties about the collapse of civilization and the future of humanity.
Apocalyptic: The imagery throughout the poem strongly suggests an "end-of-the-world" scenario, or at least the end of a major historical cycle. This is not the joyous or peaceful end promised by the Christian idea of the Second Coming, but a dark and unsettling one, as a "rough beast" rather than a savior heads toward Bethlehem.
Contrasting moods: The mood is distinctly not hopeful, calm, or lighthearted, which are all contradicted by the poem's themes of chaos ("Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold") and the emergence of a terrifying new force. 

The historical event that is often seen as a significant influence on the pessimistic tone of "The Second Coming" is b) World War I. 
Yeats wrote "The Second Coming" in 1919, in the direct aftermath of World War I, and it captures the sense of disillusionment and breakdown of order that many people felt during this time.
The unprecedented violence and sheer scale of death during the war profoundly shook the foundations of traditional Western beliefs and values. The phrase "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold" directly reflects the societal collapse and moral chaos that followed the conflict.
The poem's apocalyptic imagery is an expression of the collective anxiety that arose from the horrors of modern warfare and the end of what was believed to be an age of progress. 

Cycles and Gyres: The opening of the poem describes the "widening gyre" of the falcon. Yeats developed a complex cyclical view of history, detailed in his prose work A Vision.
End of an era: According to this theory, history moves in roughly 2,000-year cycles, or gyres. In the poem, Yeats suggests that the Christian cycle is ending, and the world is spiraling out of control, widening to its farthest point.
The new age: A new, opposing age—represented by the "rough beast" moving toward Bethlehem—is about to begin. This idea of destruction leading to renewal is central to Yeats's cyclical philosophy.
Historical context: Yeats wrote the poem in 1919, viewing the chaos of World War I as a sign that the current gyre was dissolving and a new, possibly darker one was beginning. 

Byzantium as a Symbol: Byzantium, while a real historical city, functions in the poem as a symbol of an idealized, eternal realm where art and spirituality transcend the decay of the mortal world. The city represents a world of artistic magnificence and permanence.
Escape from Mortality: The aging speaker feels out of place in the natural world, which is focused on youth and the cycle of birth and death. He desires to escape the limitations of his physical body and find a form of immortality through art.
Quest for Artistic Immortality: The "sailing" represents a metaphorical journey away from the transient world and towards a realm where the soul can be transformed and find permanence through art. He seeks to learn from the "sages standing in God's holy fire," who are preserved in the gold mosaics of Byzantium, how to make his soul "sing" and achieve a lasting form through art. 

In "Sailing to Byzantium," "The artifice of eternity" refers to b) The creation of immortal art. 
Artifice: In this context, "artifice" refers to something crafted or made by human skill, as opposed to something natural.
Eternity: This represents the immortal, timeless existence the speaker desires to achieve, free from the decay of his aging physical body.
Connection: By seeking to be gathered into the "artifice of eternity," the speaker desires to be transformed into a permanent, artificial creation—like a golden bird—that will endure long after his mortal life has ended. It is through the creation and appreciation of timeless works of art that the speaker believes he can achieve immortality. 

The Metaphor: In the second stanza, the speaker directly states, "An aged man is but a paltry thing, / A tattered coat upon a stick, unless / Soul clap its hands and sing...".
Symbolism: This imagery powerfully conveys the physical frailty and insignificance he feels in his old age. The body has become worn out and diminished, much like an old coat, with only the skeletal frame of a "stick" remaining.
Contrast with the Soul: The comparison emphasizes the contrast between the failing physical body and the enduring spirit or "soul," which the speaker believes must find a new way to express its vitality through art and intellect.

The poem "Sailing to Byzantium" challenges the conventional view of aging by suggesting that true fulfillment for the elderly may lie in c) Seeking an alternative mode of existence beyond the physical. 

Rejection of Physical Decay: The speaker views his aging body as a "tattered coat upon a stick", emphasizing the physical decline associated with old age. He explicitly states that his current country is "no country for old men".
Emphasis on the Soul: The poem advocates for the soul to find its own vitality and fulfillment as the body weakens. The speaker seeks to learn how to keep his soul alive and singing, contrasting this with the neglect of "Monuments of unageing intellect" by the young.
Transcendence through Art: Byzantium symbolizes a realm where art and spirituality offer a path to immortality, transcending the limitations of the physical world. The speaker desires to be transformed into a golden bird, a work of art, which would allow his artistic spirit to endure beyond his physical death. 

The speaker feels excluded because the world he is describing is one of vibrant youth, vitality, and procreation, a world that has no place for him in his old age.
The use of the word "That" immediately distances him from his homeland, indicating a sense of detachment and alienation. He no longer belongs in this world focused on transient, sensual life and the cycle of birth and death.
This feeling is what motivates his metaphorical journey to Byzantium, a city that symbolizes a realm of ageless art and intellect, where he hopes to find meaning and immortality.

In "Sailing to Byzantium," the phrase "those dying generations" refers to b) The young and all living things. 
The speaker, who is an old man, is in a country filled with the sensual music of life. He observes "The young / In one another's arms, birds in the trees" and the abundant sea life.
From his aging perspective, all these vibrant, beautiful beings are part of the cycle of birth, procreation, and death. They are "dying generations" because, despite their youth and vitality, their life is inherently temporary.
He contrasts this fleeting, mortal existence with the "Monuments of unageing intellect" found in Byzantium, which represents a realm of permanent and timeless art. 

The central question the speaker poses about the addressee in "No Second Troy" is g) "Why did you upset the apple-cart so much?"
While the poem doesn't use those exact words, this captures the essence of the speaker's inquiry. The poem revolves around the rhetorical question: "Why, what could she have done, being what she is?". 
This question is a rhetorical defense of Maud Gonne (the addressee). The speaker suggests that her inherently fiery and noble nature—compared to Helen of Troy—made it inevitable that she would cause such disruption. The "upset apple-cart" refers to the political and personal turmoil she created, particularly with her involvement in Irish nationalism and her disregard for conventional expectations. The speaker's question is a resigned reflection on her character, rather than a genuine request for information.

When the speaker asks, "Why should I blame her that she filled my days / With misery...?", the word "misery" here refers primarily to b) The emotional turmoil and unrequited love she caused him. 
 
The poem "No Second Troy" is widely understood to be about Yeats's unrequited love for Maud Gonne, a fierce Irish revolutionary.
He proposed to her multiple times over the years, and she consistently rejected him, causing him significant personal pain and sorrow.
The "misery" in question is not related to physical suffering or political unrest caused by Gonne's actions (although he addresses her politics later in the poem). Instead, it refers to the ongoing emotional distress he experienced because of his unfulfilled romantic feelings for her.
While the poem intertwines personal and political disappointment, the opening lines specifically address his personal, emotional state.

In "When You are Old," the speaker contrasts those who loved the addressee's "moments of glad grace" with:
b) One who loved the "pilgrim soul" in her
The second stanza explicitly states this contrast: "But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, / And loved the sorrows of your changing face." The speaker argues that while others loved her for her fleeting, youthful beauty, his love was deeper, focusing on her inner, restless spirit and her humanity as she aged. 

The overall mood of the poem "When You are Old" is best described as:
c) Melancholy and reflective 
The poem presents a bittersweet, contemplative scene of the addressee in her old age, reflecting on her past loves and missed opportunities. While the speaker's tone has a hint of bitterness, the overall mood is dominated by a sense of sadness and thoughtful introspection. 

What is the main thematic contrast explored in "The Tower"?
a) Physical decay versus imaginative power
"The Tower" directly addresses the speaker's struggle with old age, lamenting his physical decline while celebrating the enduring and growing strength of his imagination. He views his aged body as a "battered kettle at the heel" but finds his mind and creative passions to be stronger than ever. 

"The Tower's" structure, which includes varying line lengths and stanza forms, is an example of:
c) Modernist experimentation with form 
Written during Yeats's mature period, "The Tower" moves away from the more traditional, regular forms of his earlier work. The poem's varied line lengths and stanza forms are representative of modernist poetry, reflecting the fragmentation and uncertainty of the modern world and contrasting with the more conventional structures of the past.

In "The Wild Swans at Coole," how many autumns has the speaker been watching the swans?
The correct answer is c) 19
The second stanza of the poem states: "The nineteenth autumn has come upon me / Since I first made my count." 

The final rhetorical question in "The Wild Swans at Coole" ("...when I awake some day / To find they have flown away?") emphasizes the speaker's feeling of:
c) Loss and mortality 
The question reflects the speaker's awareness of his own aging and inevitable death. While the swans seem eternally youthful and unchanged, the speaker knows they, too, are transient. He fears waking up to a world where even the constant, beautiful swans are gone, a metaphor for the profound changes and losses that time inflicts on all things. 

In "September 1913," what phrase is repeated as a refrain throughout the poem?
b) "Romantic Ireland's dead and gone"
This famous phrase is repeated at the end of each of the first three stanzas, lamenting the passing of the heroic, nationalist spirit of Ireland. 

September 1913" is a poem by W. B. Yeats, written in 1913. It was composed in response to the Hugh Lane controversy, where William Martin Murphy and others opposed building an art gallery in Dublin for housing the Lane Bequest paintings. Although the poem was not originally related to the Dublin lock-out that began in August 1913, it later became associated with the event. The poem laments the decline of cultural nationalism in Ireland

In "September 1913," what does Yeats associate with "custom and ceremony" in the final stanza?
d) Innate innocence and beauty
This question is based on the wrong poem. The phrase "custom and ceremony" appears in "A Prayer for My Daughter." In that poem, Yeats hopes his daughter will be endowed with "innocence and beauty" that are born out of "custom and ceremony"—values of tradition and courtesy. The question is likely confusing the two poems. 

In "A Prayer for My Daughter," what phrase does Yeats use to describe fine women making unwise romantic choices?
c) They "eat a crazy salad with their meat"
In the poem, Yeats laments that some beautiful and "fine women" (like Maud Gonne, whom he saw as choosing unwisely) seem to make foolish decisions in love, as if they "eat a crazy salad with their meat." 

In his poem, which mythological figure does Yeats reference to illustrate the dangers of excessive beauty?
c) Helen of Troy
Yeats references Helen of Troy, whose beauty was said to have launched a thousand ships and led to the Trojan War. He also mentions Aphrodite, who also brought trouble. These examples are used to warn against the dangers of excessive beauty and pride.

What event inspired W. B. Yeats to write "A Prayer for My Daughter"?
c) The birth of his daughter, Anne
Yeats wrote this poem in 1919, shortly after the birth of his daughter, Anne. The poem reflects his hopes, fears, and prayers for her future amidst the political turmoil of Ireland.