Question

Is "murderous innocence"an oxymoron? what does this phrase signify in the context
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Answer 1

Answer:

This poem was written by William Butler Yeats for his infant daughter, Anne. He worries about her. Maud Gonne was a radical, opinionated intelligent woman he had loved, but who had rejected his proposals. In this poem he vents his thoughts on her. Georgie Hyde Lees was his wife. ng, 4 Utarid

A Prayer for my Daughter by W.B. Yeats: An Analysis by Claire Wo

Stanza 1: The weather is a reflection of Yeats’ feelings. The post-war period was dangerous. Anne’s vulnerability and innocence is symbolised by the “cradle-hood” and “coverlid.”

“And half hid” shows that Anne is barely protected by the frail “coverlid.”

Anne is oblivious to the violent forces around her; she is ignorant (she “sleeps on”; she is not awake to the violence around her), hence she is “under this cradle-hood” which hides her and is unaffected. (The forces may be riots, violence, starvation, or decay of moral values.) “Under this cradlehood and coverlid/My child sleeps on.” Her ignorance protects her from the uneasy knowledge hence she “sleeps on.”

Robert Gregory died. His father could not protect him from death.

“The roof-levelling wind” is strong, representing frightening, turbulent forces.

“Where by the haystack- and roof-levelling wind,/Bred on the Atlantic, can be stayed.” USA was more comfortable compared to Europe. Turbulent forces or “wind” was less significant and more controlled in the USA. Hence it ca be “stayed” or controlled.

Yeats prays because he is gloomy; “great gloom …. In my mind.”

Tone: Frightening, precarious, gloomy.

Literary devices: personification – “the storm is howling” represents threatening external forces e.g. riots, evilness.

Roof-levelling wind represents turbulent forces.

Symbols - “Storm” represents outside forces which threaten Anne’s safety.

“cradlehood” represents Anne’s innocence and infancy.

“coverlid” represents innocence and ignorance, frail protection.

“wind” represents turbulent forces.

“one bare hill” may represent Robert’s death. (Why is the hill bare? Replies are appreciated.) The hill is empty, it may represent his death – there is no one to occupy it. Or it may be a hill where his tombstone lies. As I have said, I have no idea.

Metonym - The author may be mistaken but “Atlantic” may be the United States of America.

Rhyme scheme: aabbcddc

Answer 2

Answer:

The phrase "murderous innocence" uses an oxymoronic figure of speech. Although the expression indicates that the revolution is destructive, it has no malice against anyone.

Explanation :

• Yeats depicts a young infant dozing off through a violent storm in "A Prayer for my Daughter."
• Anne Butler Yeats, who was born a month after Yeats wrote "The Second Coming," is the kid being discussed here.
• The required poetry appears in the anthology following "The Second Coming."
• The Irish War of Independence's greater intensity is symbolised by the storm that was born in the Atlantic Ocean.
• The poet's interior trauma is concretized by the upheaval on the outside.
• Christ's likeness is evocatively represented by the image of the infant resting peacefully by the haystack.
• The vulgar devil takes the role of Christ's divine representation in Yeats' "The Second Coming."
• There doesn't seem to be anything stopping the storm's strength outside the woods around Lady Gregory's home.

• Due to thought, the poet is in a trance. He hears the shriek of the rising sea wind: "And heard the shriek of the sea wind upon the tower, Scream while standing underneath the bridge's arches, over the flooded stream, in the elms;"

• The sea-wind permeates every region and is noticeable. It conjures up "the frenzied drum," the irrational frenzy that will shape the coming years.
• The outlook presented here is ominous.
• The sound of a drum denotes the start of combat.
• The rumbling of the drum heralds the approaching revolution of the next years.
• In Yeats' "The Second Coming," the "blood-dimmed tide" is compared to "the murdering innocence of the sea."

• Make a connection between "Terrible Beauty" in "Easter 1916" and the word "murderous innocence" as well.
• The phrase "murderous innocence" uses an oxymoronic figure of speech.
• Despite the fact that the word implies the revolution is destructive, it harbours no animosity toward anyone.

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