Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Circus Animals' Desertion" is a poem by William Butler Yeats. It is one of Yeats' last poems and is often seen as a reflection on his own life and artistic journey.

The poem begins with the speaker's declaration that he is "done with the circus," suggesting that he is finished with the artifice and spectacle of his own life and work. He then reflects on the themes and images that have populated his poetry, including Greek mythology, Irish folklore, and the occult. However, he suggests that these images no longer have the power they once did and have become "a show / For children, a child's play."

The poem then shifts to an image of a "ragged lion-man" who is the last remaining creature in the circus. The speaker describes this figure as "a showman's shrewd / Contrivance," suggesting that it is a creation of artifice and deception rather than a real living creature.

The poem ends with the speaker's admission that he has been "changed utterly" by his experiences, but that he has not found the "counter-image / Of that proud throe" which has animated his poetry in the past. Instead, he suggests that he is left with only "the foul rag-and-bone shop of the heart," a phrase that has become famous as a description of the human condition.

Overall, the poem can be seen as a reflection on the artist's struggle to find meaning and inspiration in a world that has lost its magic and wonder. The image of the circus, with its artificiality and deception, serves as a metaphor for the artifice of the poet's own life and work, and the ragged lion-man represents the last remnants of his creative imagination. Ultimately, the poem suggests that the artist's journey is a constant struggle between the desire for transcendence and the reality of the human condition, and that the search for meaning and inspiration is never truly over.