Welcome back to the Daily Poem here on the Close Reeds Podcast Network.

I'm David Kern.

Before we get to today's poem, I just want to remind everybody about our poetry contest for our younger listeners.

Don't forget that you can memorize and recite at least eight lines of J.R.R. Tolkien's poetry. Remember to post your recitation

on social media with hashtag Daily Poem, and we will choose winners from a couple of different

age groups, and the winners will receive some very special prizes, including some beautiful books.

So again, don't forget, at least eight lines of Tolkien's poetry with the hashtag Daily

Poem on either Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Today's poem is by William Butler Yates, who died on January 28th, and so this, of course,

seems an appropriate time to read one of his poems.

I've read a few different Yates poems here on the show, but I haven't read this one, and this is

certainly one of his more famous poems.

This is called The Second Coming.

It was written in 1919 and then published in 1920 in the Dial and then afterwards in a

1921 collection.

This is how it goes.

Turning and turning in the widening gyre,

the falcon cannot hear the falconer.

Things fall apart.

The center cannot hold.

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.

The blood dim tide is loosed, and everywhere the

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