By: William Butler Yeats (1939) Long-Legged Fly By: William Butler Yeats (1939)

Poetry Time With Shyam

Fun Facts With Shyam W.B Yeats brother, Jack Butler Yeats was the first Irishman to win an Olympic Medal. It was just a silver medal so no one cares in the end Because Silver is 2nd 2nd is First Loser Therefore J.B Yeats is a ___________ J.B is to W.B as Trey Smith is to Jaden and Willow Irrelevant

Dominant Effect In the “Long Legged Fly”, William Butler Yeats makes allusions to several highly accomplished historical figures, who achieved momentary transcendence , in order to emphasize the importance of silence in the creation of art.

Overview of Poem Poem is split into three stanzas 1st Stanza alludes to a tale of Julius Caesar Greatest Leader of The Roman Empire Yeats describes the intensity at which he strategizes his plan. The dog and horse are both inaudible 2nd Stanza alludes to Helen of Troy Started Trojan War by being a babe #relatable Helen lacks self-consciousness - in her own bubble Helen’s beauty is created in silence 3rd Stanza alludes to Michael Angelo Famous Renaissance Artist Yeats describes him as he his painting the Sistine Chapel; Focused and Determined The Children are kept out of the vicinity so that Yeats can work in Silence

Stanza 1 Water imagery -Symbolizes harmony and calmness Silence Imagery - emphasizes how silence is needed for geniuses to work Animal - Animals are the main causes for sound thus they are silenced Allusion -Is an allusion to Caesar which is done to show the importance that silence has with even great figures. Body imagery -Shows concentration through body positioning That civilisation may not sink, Its great battle lost, Quiet the dog, tether the pony To a distant post; Our master Caesar is in the tent Where the maps are spread, His eyes fixed upon nothing, A hand under his head. Like a long-legged fly upon the stream His mind moves upon silence.

Helen of Troy Wife of the Menelaus, King of Sparta Daughter of Zeus and Leda Ran away with Paris, Prince of Troy Menelaus and his army set out to reclaim her; caused Trojan War

Stanza 2 That the topless towers be burnt And men recall that face, Move most gently if move you must In this lonely place. She thinks, part woman, three parts a child, That nobody looks; her feet Practise a tinker shuffle Picked up on a street. Like a long-legged fly upon the stream Her mind moves upon silence Motif of Silence Her beauty cannot be disturbed and needs quiet to be fully expressed Allusion Her beauty inspires art Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus Michaelangelo Innocence - Lack of self-consciousness Her beauty is pure, without knowledge of an observer

Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus Instead of Troy, shall Wertenberg be sack’d; And I will combat with weak Menelaus, And wear thy colours on my plumed crest; Yea, I will wound Achilles in the heel, And then return to Helen for a kiss. O, thou art fairer than the evening air Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars; Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter When he appear’d to hapless Semele; More lovely than the monarch of the sky In wanton Arethusa’s azur’d arms; And none but thou shalt be my paramour! Was this the face that launch’d a thousand ships, And burnt the topless towers of Ilium– Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.– [Kisses her.] Her lips suck forth my soul: see, where it flies!– Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again. Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips, And all is dross that is not Helena. I will be Paris, and for love of thee,

Stanza 3 Silence Imagery - emphasizes the importance of silence for geniuses to work Allusion -alludes to Michael Angelo and his work on the Sistine Chapel Water imagery -Symbolizes calmness and harmony Body imagery -Emphasizes the concentration that geniuses use in silence. That girls at puberty may find The first Adam in their thought, Shut the door of the Pope’s chapel, Keep those children out. There on that scaffolding reclines Michael Angelo With no more sound than the mice make His hand moves to and fro. Like a long-legged fly upon the stream His mind moves upon silence.

Discussion Question Pick a stanza and explain the significance of the stanzas allusion to the overall meaning of the poem.

Fun Fact Two with Shyam (Because we overachieve) William Butler Yeats first name is actually spelled… W I L A M

Fly Motif “Like a long-legged fly upon the stream/ His mind moves upon silence.” (Yeats, 9-10) Long-legged fly could move on the water, but will sink if it moves out of balance. Fly, noisy appearance, silent mind.

Water Imagery Yeats uses water imagery to emphasize the importance of tranquility and balance for if the stream is not calm and still then the fly would drown. “The Wild Swans at Coole” “But now they drift on the still water” (25). “Long-Legged Fly” “That civilisation may not sink” (1) “Like a long-legged fly upon the stream” (9) Idea of spiritus mundi.

Spiritus Mundi “The Second Coming” “When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi/ Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert/ A shape with lion body and the head of a man, / A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun” (12-17). Spiritus Mundi - a "spirit world" of images and symbols that Yeats believed to have been traditionally available to the most perceptive people (like poets) throughout history.

Silence Motif Yeats uses silence motif to demonstrate genius, like the fly, requires silence for art creation. “Quiet the dog, tether the pony” (3) “In this lonely place… That nobody looks” (14-16) “With no more sound than the mice make” (27)

Body Motif (Eh… Yeats with->)The motif of body parts and body movement emphasizes how the silence helped the historical figures to reach the state of spiritus mundi, and helped their creation in masterpiece. “His eyes fixed upon nothing,/ A hand under his head” (7-8) “Her feet/ Practise a tinker shuffle” (16-17) “His hand moves to and fro” (28)

Discussion Question Discuss in your groups what you believe the most significant literary device used in the poem is? Be ready to share your answer.

Structure Ballad Meter, less strict, syllables count less, ACBC or ABXB. Shifting between iambic tetrameter with iambic trimeter. Conveying a theme of creation, in a silent method. 8/6/8/6 syllables 4/3/4/3 metrical feet

Speaker The speaker, in “Long-Legged Fly”, present in an observer form, similar to “Leda and the Swan”. The speaker creates a theme of silence and creation as himself silently observes the process of creation.

Discussion Question How does the speaker contribute to the creation of art and power of silence?

Activities With SL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD GStTPgwkc

Exit Slip Create a 12 minute IOC commentary on “Dante’s Inferno”, you will present to the class on Monday for 100 points in culminating. How does Virgil represent the quality of this presentation? What is the better farming method; Slash and Burn or Buying Groceries?

Exit Slip Write a short paragraph (2-4 sentences) on if you believe in the power of silence as Yeats does. Be sure to back up your opinion with examples from your life or the lives of those around you.

Stay Beautiful; Inside and Out But more on the outside, cause what more are we looking for at this point in our lives ;) ^That is really edgy idk if we should keep that We will keep this in because we want to be funny and don’t get enough attention otherwise. No Feelings are meant to be hurt in this politically correct world