"A shape with lion body and the head of a man,..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
The “shape with lion body and the head of a man” is a mythological creature: the sphinx. Sphinxes are present in a number of pre-Christian mythologies, with the most famous being those of Egypt and of Greece. The New Testament describes the Second Coming as being preceded by the appearance of beasts which persecute the faithful. Yeats subverts the reader’s expectations by portraying the arrival of a pre-Christian, “pitiless” monster instead of biblical beasts or the expected forgiveness of Christ.
"the Second Coming..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
Yeats alludes to the Christian belief in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Many Christians believe, based on messianic prophecies in the New Testament, that Christ will rise again for a second time. Though specific ideas about the Second Coming vary by Christian denomination, most Christians believe that Christ’s return will bring salvation and access to the Kingdom of Heaven.
