Satan Bug Slouching Towards Bethlehem

[Frans Waterlander]

David,

Yes, I think your image is sinister and ominous and let's agree to disagree on the issue of what the poem represents. I should have known better than to hint at religion at all.

[David Eckels]

Frans, fair enough and actually I am quite "religion friendly" but perhaps that is a discussion best reserved for a different venue.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I think we can agree that the poem is critical of Christianity and thank goodness we can express such feelings.

I CANNOT agree! I have never read Yeats' poem as critical of Christianity. MY reading has always lined up with the way David reads it. I would like to say that "I think we can agree that it is obvious that Yeats is speaking of the anti-Christ," but you clearly won't agree. I do agree with your comment "thank goodness we can express such feelings."

-Eric

[RSL]

I agree with Eric. Yeats knew the power of religion, especially in his time and place. That power gave him the strength of his reference to a birth in Bethlehem. That’s all. To conclude that because he used that strength to make his point he was being critical of Christianity is a bridge too far.