"A Dialogue of Self and Soul" offers an intriguing examination of Christian themes, notably diverging from traditional views on the human body and experience. While earlier works, such as Andrew Marvell's "A Dialogue, Between the Resolved Soul, and Created Pleasure," elevate heavenly pleasures far above earthly experiences, Yeats presents a contrasting perspective. In Yeats's narrative, earthly life, with all its troubles, is not merely a precursor to an ethereal existence but holds intrinsic value.

Reversal of Traditional Views

Yeats flips the conventional Christian perspective regarding the bodily experience. In Marvell's poem, Created Pleasure highlights the allure and temptation of earthly delights, yet implies that these are insignificant when compared to heavenly joys. Yeats's poem, however, emphasizes the worth of earthly life despite its trials and tribulations. The Self, in Yeats’s piece, openly acknowledges the ignorance, pain, and humiliation of worldly experiences but asserts a willingness to endure it all again. This stands in stark opposition to the ascetic ideals and the peace that Christianity often associates with spiritual life.

Symbolism and Life’s Significance

The poem is replete with symbols that underscore the complexities of human life, such as the Japanese sword wrapped in a worn but beautiful cloth. These images evoke violence and courage, as well as the potent force of sexuality, contradicting the Christian idealization of peace and chastity. Yeats uses these symbols to argue that life's difficulty is not a flaw but a raison d'être. The Self’s arguments resonate with Eastern religious notions of reincarnation and the gradual transcendence of the soul, yet they diverge by celebrating physical existence as something "blest."

Beyond Heaven and Hell

Absent from Yeats's poem are the typical Christian themes of hell and eternal punishment, or even the promise of heavenly rewards. Unlike the standard Christian narrative that holds God’s eternal presence as the ultimate goal, Yeats's Soul offers no such certainty. Instead, it invites the Self to view life as a journey toward death, culminating not in divine revelation but in the unknown depths of night. The Soul’s final words, "Only the dead can be forgiven," cast doubt on the traditional vision of heaven as a reward, suggesting instead a mysterious and possibly unsettling fate after life.

The Enigma of the Soul

In "A Dialogue of Self and Soul," the Soul’s inability to articulate what follows life underscores its enigmatic nature. The Soul, urging the Self to ascend the tower's staircase, does not promise a glimpse of heavenly splendor but rather presents the profound mystery of existence. This portrayal challenges the reader to reconsider conventional Christian beliefs about the afterlife, as the Soul's speech leaves questions unanswered, embodying an uncertainty that defies typical religious assurances.