William Butler Yeats's "Sailing to Byzantium" is a complex and evocative poem that explores themes of mortality, aging, and the search for eternal life through art and spirituality. Written in 1928, when Yeats was in his sixties, the poem reflects the poet's growing awareness of his mortality and his desire to leave a lasting legacy.

Byzantium, a once-mighty empire, played a significant role in European history. Founded in the 4th century CE, Byzantium was the Eastern Roman Empire, a continuation of the Roman Empire after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Known for its rich cultural heritage, Byzantine art, architecture, and philosophy profoundly influenced Europe. The city of Constantinople (modern Istanbul), the capital of Byzantium, was a center of trade and commerce, connecting Europe and Asia.

Yeats' fascination with Byzantium likely comes from its historical significance and reputation as a golden age of art and culture. The poem's use of Byzantium as a symbol of eternal beauty and wisdom reflects the continued appeal of this ancient empire.

One of the most striking elements of "Sailing to Byzantium" is its extensive use of symbolism. For example, the ancient city of Byzantium represents an idealized vision of the past. It is a place whose beauty and wisdom have outlasted the fall of the empire that gave rise to this city.  The speaker's journey to Byzantium can be seen as a metaphor for the quest for eternal life and artistic immortality. 

The poem, written in the early 20th century, reflects the modernist sensibility, characterized by disillusionment with the modern world and a search for new values and meanings. The modernist movement emerged in response to the rapid social, political, and technological changes of the era, which shattered the traditional certainties of the Victorian age. This was particularly the case after the horrors of World War I.

Key features of modernism include a rejection of traditional forms and conventions, a focus on subjective experience and the exploration of the unconscious mind, and a sense of alienation and fragmentation. Yeats' poem embodies these themes by exploring the speaker's quest for meaning and its sense of disorientation and longing.

Despite being a modernist piece, Yeats uses long-established conventions in his poetry. Notably, the use of ottava rima in "Sailing to Byzantium" provides a sense of structure and order during the speaker's chaotic and disoriented state. This poetic form uses eight eleven-syllable lines with a rhyme scheme of ABABABCC. It originated in 14th-century Italy before becoming popular in English poetry during the Renaissance. Yeats utilizes this form in a number of his later poems.

Here, the regular pattern of rhymes and steady meter create a sense of stability and balance to contrast with the speaker's internal turmoil. This rhythmic structure helps to guide the reader through the poem, creating a pleasing and memorable sound while emphasizing key points.

As a prominent figure in the Irish Literary Revival, Yeats was deeply involved in the political and cultural struggles of his time. His experiences with Irish nationalism, the Easter Rising, and the challenges of maintaining a literary career may have contributed to the poem's themes of loss, longing, and the search for meaning. Additionally, Yeats' interest in philosophy, mysticism, and the occult likely influenced the poem's exploration of spiritual and metaphysical themes.

Yeats' family was undoubtedly creative and artistic. His father and siblings were all accomplished visual artists. By cultivating their artistic talents, Yeats and his family could contribute to the cultural heritage of their nation and leave a mark on the world that would outlast their own lives. This belief in the power of art to create...