Moral issueBeyond Crazy Jane Talks With Bishop by William Butler Yeats

Andi Darmawanto (20131111078)

Moh. Muhin (20131111023)

Andydermawanto12@gmail.com

Based on my understanding, this poem is mainly about the conversation of real life in which everyone is about to die and can have love desire.

I met the Bishop on the road
And much said he and I.
'Those breasts are flat and fallen now,
Those veins must soon be dry;
Live in a heavenly mansion,
Not in some foul sty.'

            In the first stanza above, Jane met he bishop and have a conversation a lot. In the conversation, the bishop reminds her that she is about to die because of her age. Her age that is clarified or symbolized through 'Those breasts are flat and fallen now, Those veins must soon be dry;. In other side, the bishop also wish for Jane that she will live in the heaven, not in the place that is foul. In this stanza we can conclude that it remind us that we have to be ready for whether enable come in the god’s mansion or not.

'Fair and foul are near of kin,
And fair needs foul,' I cried.
'My friends are gone, but that's a truth
Nor grave nor bed denied,
Learned in bodily lowliness
And in the heart's pride.

In the second stanza, Jane devotes to him of the complementarity of fair and foul. According to Trisha (2014) “good and evil are closely inter-connected to each other; good needs evil as a complement; one is incomplete without the other”.No body denied that her friends have died because that all are true. Then, she learned the truth with the humble desire “in bodily lowliness”.

'A woman can be proud and stiff
When on love intent;
But Love has pitched his mansion in
The place of excrement;
For nothing can be sole or whole
That has not been rent.'

In the last stanza above confirms that the woman should be proud and stiff in the love case though it has its place of excrement for finding the compliment. Trisha states (2014) “Jane further tells the Bishop that woman should be proud and strong in matters related to love. Love has its dwelling in the place of excrement. Love finds satisfaction in the filthy organs of the body. The virginity of a woman can only be completed by consummation”.

Reference:

Trisha. 2014. Summary of Crazy Jane Talks With The Bishop by W.B Yeats. Retrieved from https://www.beamingnotes.com/2014/03/04/summary-crazy-jane-talks-bishop-w-b-yeats.htm