Yeats was not shy in his acknowledgment that the Irish are at least partially responsible for their predicament. We can see this point of view expressed in "Easter 1916," where the poet observes that the Irish population has "changed utterly"(Yeats, Easter 1916

Another poem in which Yeats addresses political issues in an effort to influence the Irish is "The Second Coming." With this poem, we find that the poet spends time elaborating on decay. He believes that violence has never ended. Instead, it perpetuates itself from one generation to another. He writes:

The poet identifies with the Irish people more in the second stanza of the poem, reflecting upon their characteristics prior to the rebellion. He writes:

Here the poet draws attention the idea that Irish independence is still something that does not exist and the people must accept their part in this. It is because they have chosen not to act that they have ended up where they are. Prior to the rebellion, the Irish were actively involved in speaking about positive things but they were less active when it came to actually doing positive things. M. H. Abrams observes that the poet often suffered because he wanted to use "literature for crude political ends, he nevertheless learned to see his poetry as a contribution to a rejuvenated Irish culture" (Abrams 1928). This becomes obvious when the poet mentions Patrick Pearse and Thomas MacDonagh, men who were powerful influences in Ireland's struggle for independence. What we find here is that the poet does not look at the political aspects of their lives as he focuses on them. Instead, he looks elsewhere. For example, we are told that Pearse "kept a school/And rode our winged horse" (24-5). Another revolutionary the poet mentions is John MacBride, who was not known for living a pristine life. The poet writes that although he "had done most bitter wrong/To some who are near my heart" (33-34), he was still important to the fight for freedom. The poet's examples of these two imperfect people is significant because he is essentially pointing out to the people that one does not have to be perfect and outstanding to bring about change. It takes all kinds of people with all kinds of talents and gifts to work together and find success. Here we see how the poet is trying to help the people see that change only comes about after some amount of hard work. The bad news is that the people are responsible for where they are but the good news is they are still in charge of their future and it is not too late to change for the better.

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

"Easter 1916" begins with the poet reflecting on Ireland's past, which has been worn-out and lethargic. This notion is closely related to the fact that the poet believed that the oppressed were respons

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1724
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)