A Study Guide for William Butler Yeats's "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death"

By Gale and Cengage

A Study Guide for William Butler Yeats's "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Poetry for Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Poetry for Students for all of your research needs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cengage Learning - Gale
• Release date: Aug 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781535818223

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An Irish Airman Foresees His Death

William Butler Yeats

1919

Introduction

First published in the collection The Wild Swans at Coole in 1919, An Irish Airman Foresees His Death was written to commemorate the death of 1919 Robert Gregory, the son of Yeats’s patron, Lady Gregory. Yeats wrote two other poems about Robert Gregory, which are also included in The Wild Swans at Coole. These are In Memory of Major Robert Gregory, and Shepherd and Goatherd. Throughout the poem, the speaker contemplates his fate and attempts to balance his conflict, that is whether to accept life or death. In doing so, he methodically notes that he feels separated from his country and from the reasons most men go to war. The speaker might be considered indifferent to both life and death, but toward the end of the poem the reader realizes how important the theme of balance is. The speaker reveals that for him, life and death are balanced, or equal, and in choosing one he has, in a sense, chosen both. An interesting aspect of this poem is its lack of figurative language. Why would Yeats chose to use so little imagery in this poem? Perhaps it adds to the tone of the poem. Notice that the subject of the poem is solemn. Vivid images might detract from the solemnity of the subject. Also consider that the language of the poem contributes to the