US PRESIDENT JOE Biden quoted lines from WB Yeats’ poem The Second Coming during his last speech at the UN General Assembly in New York today.

In a speech that took in the major world events the outgoing president has seen through his decades-long political career, Biden said:

“The Irish poet William Butler Yeats described a world, and I quote, where ‘things fall apart, the centre cannot hold, mere anarchy is loosed upon the world’.”

He continued, “Some may say those words describe the world, not just in 1919, but in 2024, I see a critical distinction. In our time, the center has held.”

Biden said that “leaders of people from every region and across the political spectrum have stood together” to deal with the Covid-a9 pandemic. 

In his farewell speech at the UN General Assembly, Pres. Biden referenced William Butler Yeats' poem, "The Second Coming," adding, "The choices we make today will determine our future for decades to come." https://t.co/7YkNKqjmrD pic.twitter.com/MaOn34ZQ8U

— ABC News (@ABC) September 24, 2024

“We defended the UN Charter and ensured the survival of Ukraine as a free nation.”

He said the US had made “the largest investment in climate clean energy ever anywhere in history”.

“There will always be forces to pull our countries apart, and the world apart: aggression, extremism, chaos and cynicism, the desire to retreat from the world and go it alone,” he said. 

“Our task, our test, is to make sure that the forces holding us together are stronger than those that are pulling us apart.”

Biden said the “principles of partnership”, exemplified by the UN gathering today, “can withstand the challenges that the centre holds once again”.

“My fellow leaders, I truly believe we’re in another inflection point world history. The choices we make today will determine our future for decades to come.”

‘I love the job’

During his lengthy speech, Biden went over the major world events since he first took up political office in the 1970s: the Cold War, the American war in Vietnam, 9/11 and the US War on Terror, the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan and now the war in Ukraine.

He said the US would continue to support Ukraine and continue to develop alliances in Asia in order to oppose China. 

He also said the US wants to bring peace to the Middle East. He condemned the Hamas-led attack on Israel last October and said the families of hostages in Gaza are “going through hell”, as are the people of Gaza.

He said Gaza must be “free of Hamas’ grip” and that the war must come to an end. 

He also called for a diplomatic solution to the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Referring to his withdrawal from the presidential race this year, which paved the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to take up the Democratic nomination, Biden said “somethings are more important than staying in power”.

“This summer, I faced a decision whether to seek a second term as president. It was a difficult decision. Being president has been the honor of my life, there’s so much more I want to get done,” Biden said.

“As much as I love the job, I love my country more. I decided after 50 years of public service it’s time for new generation of leadership to take my nation forward,” he added.

The audience applauded as he said: “My fellow leaders, let us never forget, some things are more important than staying in power.”

“It’s your people that matter the most.”

Those comments will likely raise some eyebrows in his own party though, as he spent weeks refusing to withdraw despite widespread calls for him to do so following a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump.