The stanza above makes extensive reference to that extraordinary and justifiably famous poem by W.B. Yeats called “The Second Coming”. Yeats’ poem applies so closely to our own present time, of course. But might that be true of every present time ? Shakespeare too was gripped by the fear of breakdown in the order of things, and wrote extraordinary descriptions of upset across the natural world. Does this mean that we should perhaps not worry so much about the breakdown we are facing now ? No, it does not. But maybe those other times have something to teach us.