From Temporal Existence to Eternal Quest: Upanishadic Themes in Yeats’s “Sailing to Byzantium”

Sabindra Raj Bhandari

Published in Literary Oracle — Vol.8, Issue I, May 2024

Keywords: Bliss, eternity, gross reality, temporal existence, transcendence

Abstract:

The main objective of this article is to unveil the core themes of Upanishads in W. B. Yeats’s poem “Sailing to Byzantium”. Upanishads, the foundational texts of Vedic philosophy, propound the nature of gross reality, self and its relation with the eternal reality. These concepts find their reflections and intersections in “Sailing to Byzantium”. Both of them also propel the limitations of this gross world and the bliss of transcending the confinements of metempsychosis. Besides, they project that beyond the realm of ephemeral mask lies the effulgence of the cosmic consciousness which can be only radiated by realizing the dichotomy between soul and body. To expound these insights, they both underpin the parallel themes, symbols, images, and allegories. Likewise, the propagation of spiritual evolution to ignite the light within beyond the temporal existence is the Upanishadic motif that recurs in Yeats’s poem. By delving into these core themes, this study contributes a fresh revisiting and explores how the ideas, images and philosophy transcend geographical boundaries and diverse cultures. In its essence, this study involves a qualitative study to research by implementing the subtlety and interpretive analysis of the selected verses from the Upanishad and “Sailing to Byzantium”.

https://doi-ds.org/doilink/06.2024-85522613/LiteraryOracle/2024/V8/I1/A12