Fall apart Quote by Joseph Campbell
““The poet Yeats felt we were living in the last of a great Christian cycle. His poem “The Second Coming” says, “Turning and turning in the widening gyre/The falcon cannot hear the falconer;/Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;/Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,/The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere/The ceremony of innocence is drowned.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Power of Myth, 1949
Yeats perceives a cultural decline, using cyclical imagery to warn of chaos when old orders fail.
In simple terms: Societies crumble when core values collapse.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and reinforce foundational principles.
Themes
history
mythology
culture
Mood
thoughtful
philosophical
Type
interpretive
literary
When to use this quote
- political analysis
- personal belief systems
- art criticism
Key Concepts
cycles
entropy
spiritual decay
Questions to Reflect On
- What modern cycles mirror Yeats' vision?
- How can we rebuild a stable centre?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may overgeneralize complex societal changes.
![“The fall [of your soul] from perfection into duality...was naturally followed by the discovery of the duality of good and evil...This is the Biblical version of a myth known to many lands.” quote by Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9ff/joseph-campbell-300_biblical_the-fall-of-your-soul-from-perfection-in_22526.jpg)
