“The Second Coming” by William
Butler Yeats
By: Kevin Li, Joseph Barbati

• beginning of work
• phrase, quotation, or poem
• Shows the theme

• Epigraph-Brief intro quote
• Epithet-Descriptive Words
• Epitaph-Inscription on
Tombstone
R I P
Here lies the body of
Jonathon Blake who stepped on the gas instead of the brake.

• Born in Dublin, Ireland
• Poet, playwright
• Used symbolic Imagery

• A figure of speech
• References a place, event, art, etc.

• The Sphinx
• The Rough Beast
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• 4 lines from the poem act as the epigraph.
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• Merriman, C.D.. "William Butler Yeats - Biography and Works.
Search Texts, Read Online. Discuss.." The Literature Network:
Online classic literature, poems, and quotes. Essays &
Summaries . N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2011. <http://www.onlineliterature.com/yeats/>.
• "Actual Epitaphs." David Stevenson's Homepage . N.p., n.d. Web. 27
Mar. 2011. <http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/epitfs.htm>.
• "epigram/epigraph/epitaph/epithet." Washington State University -
Pullman, Washington . N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.
<http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/epigram.html>.
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