The Second Coming is written in a rough iambic pentameter but the meter is so loose that the poem in fact seems to be closer to free verse. Imagery plays a big part in Yeats' poem and the first image with which we are presented is an image of disaster; a falcon cannot hear the call of safety, and begins to spiral wider and wider, more out of control. "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold". What is the centre of the spiral? Yeats might be referring to a society out of control. "Mere anarchy" could mean many things; maybe just confusion, or a confusion that was once held back by civilization, but is now free, and ironically, binding at the same time. When some commit anarchy, others are bound by the consequences of the anarchist's actions and are paradoxically not free to be anarchic themselves.
Prayer Before Birth has shorter stanza's than The Second Coming, thus giving it a more worried, nervous pace and tone to it. The longer stanzas in The Second Coming gives the impression of surrender and the chaos that the poem refers to is not echoed by the structure.
Other imagery used include seas full of blood and drowning. Those who are "the best" of this society are apathetic, and those who are "the worst" are in your face with "passionate intensity". Yeats is picturing in this poem a society turned upside-down and headed toward self-destruction and chaos. The lion with the head of the man is an interesting image in his poem, almost seeming to come straight out of the Book of Revelation in the Bible. The lion has the predatory power, strength and authority, and the head is that of a man, but a man with "a gaze blank and pitiless as the sun". We feel somehow repelled from this inhuman thing that moves closer and closer, like death. Yeats' description suggests that there will be death when it arrives; the death of old ideas and beliefs.
Prayer Before Birth at first appears to be written in free verse but it is actually very carefully structured. The varied length of the stanzas and lines is a mere reflection of the chaos in the world. Imagery also plays a big part in MacNeice's poem, especially in the first verse. The animals that are referred to are metaphors for the different kinds of people you may encounter. The “bloodsucking bat” takes life out, like people who use, take advantage of you and drain you of your positive energy and everything you have. The “rat”, an animal that rings on plague, disease and infection, like evil cursed people who bring trouble, torment and disaster.
Both poems have a sincere negative tone and both Yeats and MacNeice use rather melancholy language. For example, in Prayer Before Birth, MacNeice uses language such as 'bloodsucking,' 'ghoul,' 'murder,' beast,' 'lethal' and 'dissipate.' This kind of language gives the poem a negative feel to it. Similarly, In The Second Coming, Yeats uses language such as 'fall apart,' 'anarchy,' 'blood-dimmed,' 'drowned,' 'pitiless,' 'nightmare' and 'beast.' This choice of language had the same effect as when used in Prayer Before Birth and makes the poem seem quite dark and adds tension to both of the poems.
The use of light(or lack of light) is used in both poems to help with the imagery. In Prayer Before Birth, MacNeice says 'a white light in the back of my throat to guide me.' This use of light symbolises a glimmer of hope for the narrator and is used in a positive way. On the contrary, Yeats says in The Second Coming 'the darkness drops again' and he also refers to shadows. This is the opposite to how light is used in Prayer Before Birth, because here there is a lack of light. That shows the contrasts between the poems and that in Yeats' poem, there is less hope and optimism.