No Second Troy by W.B. Yeats – Question & Answer (BBA 1st Semester Notes)GAUHATI UNIVERSITY .

A. Very Very Short Questions (One Word / One Line)

1. Who wrote No Second Troy?
   → W. B. Yeats
2. Who is the central figure in the poem?
   → Maud Gonne
3. When was the poem published?
   → 1916
4. What is the theme of the poem?
   → Unrequited love and destructive beauty
5. What is compared to “Troy”?
   → Maud Gonne’s destructive nature
6. Who was Helen of Troy?
   → The most beautiful woman in Greek mythology whose beauty caused the Trojan War
7. What emotion does Yeats express in the poem?
   → Pain, frustration, and admiration
8. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
   → No fixed rhyme scheme (free verse style)
9. Which mythical war is referred to in the poem?
   → Trojan War
10. What is the tone of the poem?
    → Bitterness mixed with admiration

B. Very Short Questions (2–3 lines)

1. What is Yeats’s main complaint against Maud Gonne in the poem?
   → Yeats complains that Maud Gonne’s beauty and fiery spirit created social unrest and personal heartbreak, similar to Helen of Troy who caused the Trojan War.
2. Why does Yeats call Maud Gonne destructive?
   → Because her passionate politics and unyielding personality incited violence and broke his heart.
3. What does the title “No Second Troy” mean?
   → It means that although Maud Gonne has the beauty and power to cause destruction like Helen, there is no second Troy for her to destroy.

C. Short Questions (4–5 lines)

1. Explain the classical reference in the poem.
   → Yeats compares Maud Gonne to Helen of Troy, whose beauty led to the Trojan War. He suggests that Maud’s beauty and restless spirit could also cause destruction, but unlike Helen, there is no Troy left to be destroyed.
2. How does Yeats present Maud Gonne’s character?
   → Yeats portrays her as proud, beautiful, noble, and destructive. While he admires her beauty, he is also pained by her fiery nature and rejection of him.
3. Why is the poem considered a personal poem of Yeats?
   → Because it reflects Yeats’s unfulfilled love for Maud Gonne and his frustration with her political activism.

D. Long Questions (150–200 words)

1. Discuss the theme of love and rejection in “No Second Troy.”
   → No Second Troy is one of Yeats’s personal poems written about Maud Gonne, the woman he deeply loved but who rejected him. Yeats admired her beauty and noble character, but he was also frustrated by her revolutionary zeal, which often created unrest in society. By comparing her to Helen of Troy, he highlights how a woman’s beauty can be both inspiring and destructive. Just as Helen’s beauty led to the Trojan War, Maud’s beauty and political passion brought turmoil. The poem expresses Yeats’s conflicting emotions – admiration for her beauty and nobility, but also disappointment over her rejection of his love and her involvement in violent politics. The title No Second Troy shows Yeats’s conclusion that although she has the capacity to cause destruction, there is no Troy left for her to destroy. Thus, the poem combines Yeats’s personal pain with a classical reference, making it both autobiographical and universal.
2. How does Yeats use imagery and allusion in “No Second Troy”?
   → Yeats uses the classical allusion of Helen of Troy to describe Maud Gonne’s beauty and destructive passion. The imagery of fire, pride, and nobility paints Maud as a larger-than-life figure. The metaphor of Troy symbolizes destruction caused by beauty. These literary devices elevate the poem beyond personal frustration, making it timeless.

E. Fill in the Blanks

1. No Second Troy was written by W. B. Yeats.
2. The poem is addressed to Maud Gonne.
3. Yeats compares Maud Gonne to Helen of Troy.
4. Helen of Troy’s beauty led to the Trojan War.
5. The main theme of the poem is unrequited love and destructive beauty.
6. The poem was published in 1916.
7. Yeats belonged to the Irish Literary Revival.
8. Maud Gonne was a political activist and nationalist.
9. The poem has no fixed rhyme scheme.
10. The tone of the poem is admiring yet bitter.