Question

Read the excerpt from Yeats' poem "The Second Coming" and answer the question that follows. "The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity." From "The Second Coming," William Butler Yeats, 1921 How does the author convey the tone of the poem in this passage?

A. The phrase "blood-dimmed tide" suggests a pessimistic tone.
B. The clause "The best lack all conviction" creates a hopeful tone.
C. The noun ceremony introduces a religious element and suggests a contemplative tone.
D. The unusual spelling of the word loosened adds a mysterious element to the tone of the poem.

Answer 1

The answer is A. The poem has a dark and somewhat pessimistic feel, saying that only the bad of heart have ambition and the good of mind and heart lack the passion and ambition. As well as the phrase "innocence drowned" this shows a more morbid tone.