Who said “Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, the blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere…”?

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William Butler Yeats. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceThe Second Coming (1919)

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“Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, the blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned.”
— William Butler Yeats
VerifiedThe Second Coming (1919) · evidenceChaos
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: The Second Coming (1919).

APA

Yeats, W. B. (n.d.). Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, the blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/9349-mere-anarchy-is-loosed-upon-the-world-the/

MLA

Yeats, William Butler. “Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, the blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/9349-mere-anarchy-is-loosed-upon-the-world-the/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Yeats, William Butler. “Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, the blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/9349-mere-anarchy-is-loosed-upon-the-world-the/.

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All 36 William Butler Yeats quotes →