No Second Troy is a poem by W. B. Yeats where the poet expresses his feelings about a woman named Maud Gonne, whom he loved but who did not return his love in the same way. Yeats admires her beauty and strength, but he also feels frustrated by her actions, which seem to him to be driven by ideals and causes that lead to destruction.
In the poem, Yeats compares Maud to Helen of Troy, the famous figure whose beauty caused the Trojan War. He wonders if Maud’s beauty and passionate actions could also lead to great harm. He is torn between admiration for her and anger over the emotional pain she caused him. The poem conveys the poet’s deep, complicated feelings of love, disappointment, and disillusionment.
Yeats ends the poem by acknowledging that Maud’s powerful presence could have been used for good, but instead, it led to his own suffering, and he questions whether she even understands the harm she caused.

Fact | Description |
Title | No Second Troy |
Author | W. B. Yeats |
Theme | Unrequited love, frustration, admiration, disillusionment, the destructive power of beauty |
Symbolism | Maud Gonne symbolizes beauty, passion, and destructive power, like Helen of Troy |
Published | 1916 |
Poem’s Structure | Lyrical, with a questioning tone and clear emotional conflict |
Central Imagery | Maud Gonne compared to Helen of Troy, love, beauty, and suffering |
Personal Reflection | Yeats reflects on his own unreturned love for Maud Gonne and the emotional pain it caused |
Philosophical Ideas | The destructive nature of beauty and passion, and the consequences of unreciprocated love |
Summary of some famous poems of W. B. Yeats
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- The Dancer’s Image
- A Coat
- The Man and the Echo
- The Rose Tree
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