Yeats then shifts his thoughts towards the momentary contemplation of human mortality. ... Yeats always held eminent views about the meaning of life and its purpose. ... This is expressed through this line, alongside the use of juxtaposition between Yeats and the children. ... This philosophy within Yeats' poem enhances the powerful metaphor of 'Into the yolk and white of the one shell' and can link to Yeats notion of the struggles beginning at birth itself. ... Yeats rhetorically questions, 'Was it needless death after all?' ...

• Word Count: 1908
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: Undergraduate