The "rough beast" refers to a powerful and ominous mythical creature from W.B. Yeats's famous poem "The Second Coming," symbolizing a dark, transformative force that heralds a new, chaotic era for humanity.
Origin in W.B. Yeats's "The Second Coming"
Written in 1919, in the aftermath of World War I and the Russian Revolution, W.B. Yeats's poem "The Second Coming" captures a sense of profound societal upheaval and the collapse of traditional order. The poem's famous line, "And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, / Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?" introduces this enigmatic figure as a harbinger of a new, unsettling age.
Characteristics and Symbolism
The "rough beast" is not explicitly defined in the poem but is strongly implied to be a creature of immense power and malevolent symbolism, contrasting sharply with the Christian concept of a peaceful second coming.
Physical Description
The beast is often envisioned as a hybrid creature, drawing parallels to ancient mythical figures:
- It possesses the body of a lion.
- It has the head of a man.
- This description evokes images of the manticore or the Sphinx, mythical beings known for their enigmatic and often destructive nature.
Deeper Meaning and Symbolism
The symbolic weight of the "rough beast" is profound and multi-layered:
- The Anti-Christ: Most significantly, it symbolizes the anti-Christ, a figure prophesied to appear before the end of the world, marking a period of intense tribulation and the overturning of established spiritual and moral order.
- Apocalyptic Transformation: The beast's emergence signifies an apocalyptic ending for Christianity and, by extension, potentially for the entire world as it is known. It suggests a cataclysmic shift from an old, decaying civilization to a new, terrifying one.
- Collapse of Order: It embodies the chaos, violence, and loss of innocence that Yeats perceived in the modern world, representing the destructive forces that replace traditional values and systems.
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Poem | "The Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats |
| Physical Form | Lion's body, man's head (reminiscent of a sphinx or manticore) |
| Symbolism | Anti-Christ, apocalyptic change, collapse of old order, new terrifying era |
| Context | Post-World War I disillusionment, societal upheaval |
The "rough beast," therefore, serves as a powerful and enduring literary symbol for the terrifying and inevitable forces of change that can dismantle existing realities and usher in an unpredictable, often frightening, future.
