In his poem, "The Phoenix," W.B. Yeats tells the story of a mythical bird that is reborn from its own ashes. The poem begins with the Phoenix's lament that it is the only one of its kind, and that it will never find a mate. The Phoenix then goes on to describe its own death and rebirth, and how it will rise from the ashes of its former self. The poem ends with the Phoenix's hope that it will find a mate in its new life, and that it will be able to share its joy with another. The poem is a metaphor for the cycle of life and death, and the hope of renewal and rebirth.
By W.B. Yeats · First published 1919 · Genre: Poetry, Romanticism, Mythology