In "The Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats, the speaker asserts that the best people "lack all conviction," while the worst are "full of passionate intensity." How does this statement apply to the speakers in "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" and "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"? What characteristics of the modern world make it difficult, if not impossible, to be heroic in the traditional sense?

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In "The Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats, the speaker asserts that the best people "lack all conviction," while the worst are "full of passionate intensity." How does this statement apply to the speakers in "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" and "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"?

This statement applies to the speakers of both poems because the two of them are good people who lack all conviction. The Irish airman is doing the right thing and, therefore, can be seen as a good person. He is fighting in a war, defending his country against the enemy. Yet, he does not believe in that, he does not have a cause. He knows there are good people among the enemy and bad people in his country. He is not driven by conviction that his actions are good, right, necessary. As he says,

Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,

Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,

A lonely impulse of delight

Drove to this tumult in the clouds;

The same happens to the other poem's speaker, Prufrock. He is a sensitive man with a heightened ability for observation. He longs for human contact and interaction, for love and attention. But he, too, has no conviction. He is afraid of being criticized and shunned. So he isolates himself before anyone else has the chance to do it. His lack of courage and self-esteem does not allow him to enjoy life.

No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;

Am an attendant lord, one that will do

To swell a progress, start a scene or two,

Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool,

Deferential, glad to be of use,

Politic, cautious, and meticulous;

Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;

At times, indeed, almost ridiculous—

Almost, at times, the Fool.

What characteristics of the modern world make it difficult, if not impossible, to be heroic in the traditional sense?

A hero in the traditional sense is someone capable of letting go of himself to fight for others' well-being and safety. Heroes are supposed to be brave, smart, and, above all, altruistic. They must be willing to sacrifice it all to do the right thing.

However, one of the things the modern world has taught us is to put ourselves first. We are no longer willing to sacrifice part or all of our lives for the sake of others. Quite the contrary, what we treasure the most now are personal, individual accomplishments. They can come in many forms: Buying the things you desire, traveling to several countries because it seems to be what everyone does, climbing the corporate ladder etc.

People may not even notice or know they are being selfish and shallow. They might fool themselves and, perhaps, others by claiming they do those things for their families, or to become citizens of the word. It doesn't take an expert, however, to notice it is all done for one's own sake and personal fame. People do what other people do (take Instagram as an example); they just want to belong, not to distinguish themselves. They wish to be normal, not a hero.

An Irish who foresees his death is regarded as the one where death cannot be avoided may be due to an aircraft crash possible to happen or hijack in the plane.

A hero in the traditional sense is someone capable of letting go of himself to fight for others' well-being and safety. Heroes are supposed to be brave, smart, and, above all, altruistic. They must be willing to sacrifice it all to do the right thing.

However, one of the things the modern world has taught us is to put ourselves first. We are no longer willing to sacrifice part or all of our lives for the sake of others. Quite the contrary, what we treasure the most now are personal, individual accomplishments.

They can come in many forms: Buying the things you desire, traveling to several countries because it seems to be what everyone does, climbing the corporate ladder etc.

To know more about "The Second Coming", refer to the link:

https://brainly.com/question/1331489

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