“An Irish Airman Foresees His Death” by William B. Yeats

William Butler Yeats photographed in 1911
by George Charles Beresford

In the poem entitled “An Irish Airman Foresees His Death” by William B. Yeats the themes of death and resignation are explored. The poet’s central message is related to the feelings of an Irish Airman when he is facing death. Through the use of poetic devices such as rhyme and repetition, the poet makes the readers move forward, line by line in a rhythmic way.

The title of the poem “An Irish Airman Foresees his Death” has been chosen to wake up the readers’ curiosity to read the whole poem, because it reflects the content of the poem. The word “Foresees” suggests that the Irish Airman knows something that anyone knows: when he is going to die.

The form of the poem can be described as a short sixteen line poem. The poet has chosen this structure to make it easier to read.

The rhyme scheme of the poem is four repetitions of the basic ABAB scheme using different rhymes. The poet has chosen this pattern to make it more attractive to the readers.

The most powerful image in the poem is visual. Visual imagery has been used in the poem, for example to enable the readers to visualize the place where he is “Somewhere among the clouds above”. The poet has used words as “Those” to refer to both the enemies and the allies. Also he has used synecdoche when he used the words “fate” to speak of death and “breath” to refer to the life.

There is repetition in the poem when the poet in third and fourth stanzas, for example expresses “Those that I fight I do not hate;” “Those that I guard I do not love”. This device is effective because it allows the readers to read it fast.

At the beginning of the poem, the poet gives the readers the general idea of the poem

1-“I know that I shall meet my fate” He knows that he will die soon.

2-“Somewhere among the clouds above” and he knows that it will be somewhere in the sky.

3-“Those that I fight I do not hate,

4-Those that I guard I do not love;”

9-“Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,

10-Nor public men, nor cheering crowds;”

11-“A lonely impulse of delight

12-Drove to this tumult in the clouds;”

In these lines the poet tries to explain that he does not fight because he hates his enemy, or because he loves his allies, or due to that he looks for fame or fortune. But also, because his passion for flying.

5-“My country is Kiltartan Cross,

6-My countrymen Kiltartan’s poor,”

What is more he declares that his place is Kiltartan.

7-“No likely end could bring them loss

8-Or leave them happier than before.”

He thinks nothing is going to change to his country. He is resigned

13-“I balance all, brought all to mind,

14-The years to come seemed waste of breath,

15-A waste of breath the years behind

16-In balance with this life, this death.”

The poet says that when he puts his life in a scale, he realizes that it was wasted and does not see that his future will be better, so he is ready to die.

To summarize, this poem explores the pilot’s feelings when he is flying and facing death. The poet wrote this poem in the first person, he has chosen this technique to show the airman’s thought in a simple way. It has been effective because the readers feel that he is telling them his thoughts. As a reader I have felt that I was reading a letter which has been sent to me by a friend, who only needed to be listened, not judged or criticized.

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/117