such a juncture

 

left:  Richard Nixon

right:  Anthony Hopkins portraying him in the 1995 Oliver Stone film, Nixon

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer...

You Tube video:

Dominic West reads "The Second Coming" by WB Yeats |

        uploader / channel:  RTE - IRELAND'S NATIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA

(West is the actor who portrayed Prince Charles in The Crown's Season 5.  I really like that he took time to read this poem to us.)

------------------------------ another video on You Tube:

Nixon (1995) HQ  "Do you ever think of death, Dick?"

        uploader / channel:  1accon

NIXON

I never thought Jack was ready for the presidency.  But I would never, never consider ...

(then)

His death was awful, an awful thing for this country.

(then)

Do you ever think of death, Mr. Helms?

HELMS

Flowers are continual reminders of our mortality.  Do you appreciate flowers?

NIXON

No.  They make me sick.  They smell like death ... I had two brothers die young.  But let me tell you, there are worse things than death.  There is such a thing as evil.

HELMS

You must be familiar with my favorite poem by Yeats?  "The Second Coming"?

NIXON

No.

HELMS

Black Irishman.  Very moving.  

"Turning and turning in the widening gyre / The falcon cannot hear the falconer / 

Things fall apart, the center cannot hold / 

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world / And everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned / The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity" ... 

But it ends so beautifully ominous - "What rough beast, its hour come round at last / Slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?" ... Yes, this country stands at such a juncture.

_____________________________

        The Nixon video is about 10 minutes long - there's a scene leading up to the poem.  If you just want the poem, start it at 9:23.

There's a Sopranos episode where Dr. Melfi quotes a couple of lines from the poem.  It's Episode 10 of Season 5 (title:  "Cold Cuts").

        Tony is telling her something, during his therapy session, and she attempts to show him she understands, saying with intense interest:

JENNIFER MELFI

"The center cannot hold.

The falcon cannot hear the falconer."

TONY SOPRANO

What the fuck are you talkin' about ?!

        LOL.

 ---------------------- That's the episode where she tells him, "Depression is rage turned inward."

-30-