1. Zehara, Clara, Ben, Rehaan, Michelle
Long-Legged Fly (1939)
Zehara, Clara, Ben, Rehaan, Michelle
Michelle

2. DOMINANT EFFECT
Yeats uses external structure and the image of the long-legged fly in conjunction with historical allusions to demonstrate the inseparable nature of isolation and creation.
Michelle

3. BACKGROUND - YEATS Death 28 January 1939
When Yeats was around 60 years old, his health began to fail
Wife died in 1932, so Yeats was alone and very sick
Yeats had a creative surge near to his death
Michelle

4. when u boutta die but the world hasnt fully appreciated ur creative genius yet

5. External Structure of the poem
3 stanzas, 10 lines each-Appears structured at first sight
Rhyme scheme/meter: no structure in meter, shifts between tetrameter and trimeter,
Rhyme is in ballad form: A-C-B-C but there's lots of imperfect rhyme.
Significance: Theme of creation is expressed through external structure
Rehaan

6. ALLUSIONS
Caesar: Great emperor of Rome from BC expanded the Roman Republic through a series of battles across Europe. Considered a military genius.
Helen of Troy: Renowned for beauty in Greek mythology causing wars. Is able to make common dance, the “tinker shuffle,” look graceful and elegant.
Michelangelo: Artist who painted the roof of the Sistine Chapel alone, renowned as one of the largest pieces of artwork in history. The painting itself is referenced at the beginning of Stanza 3 when it references “Adam” and the “Pope’s chapel.”
Zehara

7. WATER SYMBOLISM and Repetition
Repetition: “Like a long-legged fly upon the stream”
In order for the fly to be sitting on the water, the water has to be still, shows silence and spiritus mundi= balance, the life force that must be in balance for you to access genius
Use of the word stream
Repetition equates the three genius minded people to a fly, such an insignificant figure in life
Rehaan

8. What is the long-legged fly?
Literally:
Can rest on still water, sinks on moving (out of balance) water.
Symbolically:
“Like a long-legged fly upon the stream / His mind moves upon silence”
Represents the workings of a genius’ mind
Fly moves swiftly and silently across a balanced Spiritus Mundi (stream)
The state in which a genius creates great art: physical silence and spiritual balance allows the creator to meditate on imagination.
Ben

9. Body/Movement Imagery
There is imagery of movement for the Historical figure involved, but the imagery is subtle and not dominant.
“Her feet practise a tinker shuffle”
“His hand moves to and fro.”
This shows a connection between the mind and body, showing that one’s genius is accessed through the mind, and then translated to the body.
Must originate in the mind through isolation
Yeats mentions different figures from different aspects of society, a military genius, a beautiful woman, and an artist to show that all geniuses use the same method to achieve their greatness.
Zehara

10. Speaker
The speaker puts the reader into the poem by using a commanding tone
“Quiet the dog, tether the pony,” stanza 1
“Move most gently if move you must.” stanza 2
“Shut the door of the Pope’s chapel,” stanza 3
Call to action for reader to find their own genius by using famous examples that outline the process to accessing one’s own genius
Use of “Our” and “You” makes the reader feel included in this revelation of how to be a genius. Also calls for reader to be silent as to allow others to access their own genius.
Rehaan

11. SILENCE/ISOLATION/NOTHINGNESS
“Quiet the dog, tether the pony/ To a distant post ”
Commanding tone
“Move most gently if you must”
Cautions audience to not interrupt process of creation, commanding tone stresses importance of silence and isolation
Use of the direct pronoun “you”
Second person is significant because it places the reader in the poem, making it personal
Ben

12. Silence and Isolation
“Shut the door of the pope’s chapel/keep those children out”.
-The children are a distraction to Michael Angelo
“With no more sound than the mice make/ his hand moves to and fro”
-Only when isolated from others and in silence, can he meditate with his thoughts and make genius creations.
“Her/ His mind moves upon silence” - he/she is able to think and dance, create art, and be militarily elegant because of the silence.
Clara

13. RELIGIOUS ALLUSION Allusion to Adam and Eve (again)
Michelangelo’s art will inspire a sexual awareness such that “the girls at puberty may find the first Adam in their thought” (21-22)
Adam and Eve = creation of humanity
Translation: ‘That women will have children and procreate’
Adam is found ‘in their thought’ - women must be isolated from religion and think about men in order for them to create
Clara

14. Discussion Questions
What is the effect of the tone and mood on the reader? How does it make you feel?
How does Yeats use allusions to illustrate the different types of creation?
What is your interpretation of the symbol of the fly?
zehara

15. Exit Slip Choose a line or two that have allusions that speak to you.
What does this line mean to you personally?
What other literary techniques are used and what is the effect?
Clara

16. Works Cited
yeats