An Irish Airman Foresees His Death
Encyclopedia
An Irish Airman Foresees His Death is a poem by Irish
poet William Butler Yeats
written in 1918 and first published in the Macmillan edition of The Wild Swans at Coole
in 1919. The poem is a soliloquy
given by an aviator
in the First World War in which the poet describes the circumstances surrounding his imminent death. The poem is a work of Irish Nationalism
that discusses the role of Irish soldiers fighting for Great Britain
during a time when they were trying to establish independence for Ireland
. Wishing to show restraint from publishing political poems during the height of the war, Yeats withheld publication of the poem until after the conflict had ended.
. The collection The Wild Swans at Coole
, in which this poem appeared also contained the poem "In Memory of Major Robert Gregory". In total, Yeats wrote four pieces based on Major Gregory's death.
Yeats uses this poem to portray both emotional and intellectual aspects of the aviator's choice to fly. The repetition of the word "clouds" on the second and twelfth lines of the stanza
bookends the aviator's resolve; he was driven by a "lonely impulse of delight." Yeats continues the poem until it has a "perfect
" number of lines. In the last four lines, Yeats uses a chiasmus
of ABCCBA (balanced:years to come::waste of breath ... waste of breath::years behind:balanced). This implies that the aviator's choice was based on intellectual as well as emotional reasons.
. The rhyme scheme
is arranged in four quatrains of ABAB. In "The Poetry of Pain".
of the rock group
The Pogues
. The British rock group Keane based their song "A Bad Dream
" (featured on the album Under the Iron Sea
) on it, and a recording of the poem, read by Neil Hannon
of The Divine Comedy
, is played before the song at live venues, explaining their reasons for the lyrics. Hannon appeared in person to read it at the Keane gig at The Point Depot in Dublin (now known as the O2) on the 19th of July 2007 and again at The O2
on 21 July 2007, though the poem's title and author went unmentioned.
In the movie Memphis Belle, the character Sgt. Danny Daly recites the poem, omitting the lines referring to Ireland.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
poet William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
written in 1918 and first published in the Macmillan edition of The Wild Swans at Coole
The Wild Swans at Coole
The Wild Swans at Coole is a collection of poems by William Butler Yeats, first published in 1917. It is also the name of a poem in that collection...
in 1919. The poem is a soliloquy
Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a device often used in drama whereby a character relates his or her thoughts and feelings to him/herself and to the audience without addressing any of the other characters, and is delivered often when they are alone or think they are alone. Soliloquy is distinct from monologue and...
given by an aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
in the First World War in which the poet describes the circumstances surrounding his imminent death. The poem is a work of Irish Nationalism
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
that discusses the role of Irish soldiers fighting for Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
during a time when they were trying to establish independence for Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Wishing to show restraint from publishing political poems during the height of the war, Yeats withheld publication of the poem until after the conflict had ended.
Background and interpretation
The airman in the poem is widely believed to be Major Robert Gregory, a friend of Yeats and the only child of Lady Augusta Gregory, Yeats' patron and co-founder of the Abbey TheatreAbbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre , also known as the National Theatre of Ireland , is a theatre located in Dublin, Ireland. The Abbey first opened its doors to the public on 27 December 1904. Despite losing its original building to a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the present day...
. The collection The Wild Swans at Coole
The Wild Swans at Coole
The Wild Swans at Coole is a collection of poems by William Butler Yeats, first published in 1917. It is also the name of a poem in that collection...
, in which this poem appeared also contained the poem "In Memory of Major Robert Gregory". In total, Yeats wrote four pieces based on Major Gregory's death.
Yeats uses this poem to portray both emotional and intellectual aspects of the aviator's choice to fly. The repetition of the word "clouds" on the second and twelfth lines of the stanza
Stanza
In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...
bookends the aviator's resolve; he was driven by a "lonely impulse of delight." Yeats continues the poem until it has a "perfect
Perfect square
- Mathematics :* Square number, a number that is a product of some integer with itself, e.g. 9 is a square number, its square root is 3* Perfect square dissection, a dissection of a geometric square into smaller squares, all of different sizes...
" number of lines. In the last four lines, Yeats uses a chiasmus
Chiasmus
In rhetoric, chiasmus is the figure of speech in which two or more clauses are related to each other through a reversal of structures in order to make a larger point; that is, the clauses display inverted parallelism...
of ABCCBA (balanced:years to come::waste of breath ... waste of breath::years behind:balanced). This implies that the aviator's choice was based on intellectual as well as emotional reasons.
Structure
The poem contains 16 lines of text arranged in iambic tetrameterIambic tetrameter
Iambic tetrameter is a meter in poetry. It refers to a line consisting of four iambic feet. The word "tetrameter" simply means that there are four feet in the line; iambic tetrameter is a line comprising four iambs...
. The rhyme scheme
Rhyme scheme
A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhyme between lines of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme. In other words, it is the pattern of end rhymes or lines...
is arranged in four quatrains of ABAB. In "The Poetry of Pain".
Summary
The aviator, of whom Yeats writes as in the first person, is convinced that the flight he is about to take will be his last, and he thinks of why he has chosen to fly. He flies for different reasons than most, not out of sense of duty or patriotism, nor for prestige or for those he has left behind. He reasons that he made his decision on the basis that his life so far has been wasted, and can see nothing to convince him that his life to come will be any better, and thus that it is better to enjoy the present, whatever the consequence.Allusions
The poem is featured on the Yeats tribute album Now And In A Time To Be, where it is sung by Shane MacGowanShane MacGowan
Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan is an Irish musician and singer, best known as the original singer and songwriter of The Pogues.-History:...
of the rock group
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
. The British rock group Keane based their song "A Bad Dream
A Bad Dream
You might also be looking for Nightmare."A Bad Dream", often mistitled as "Bad Dream", is a song by English piano rock band Keane appearing as the fifth track on their second album, Under the Iron Sea. It was released on 22 January 2007 as the sixth and final single from the album...
" (featured on the album Under the Iron Sea
Under the Iron Sea
Under the Iron Sea is the second studio album by English rock band Keane, released in 2006. During its first week on sale in the UK, the album went to #1, selling 222,297 copies according to figures from the Official Chart Company...
) on it, and a recording of the poem, read by Neil Hannon
Neil Hannon
Neil Hannon is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter, best known as the creator and frontman of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy. The band's official website even goes so far as to say, "The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon," and Hannon is quoted in an interview as saying, "The Divine Comedy...
of The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy (band)
The Divine Comedy are a chamber pop band from Ireland, fronted by Neil Hannon. Formed in 1989, Hannon has been the only constant member of the group, playing, in some instances, all of the non-orchestral instrumentation bar drums. To date, ten studio albums have been released under the Divine...
, is played before the song at live venues, explaining their reasons for the lyrics. Hannon appeared in person to read it at the Keane gig at The Point Depot in Dublin (now known as the O2) on the 19th of July 2007 and again at The O2
The O2 (London)
The O2, visually typeset in branding as The O2, is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars and restaurants...
on 21 July 2007, though the poem's title and author went unmentioned.
In the movie Memphis Belle, the character Sgt. Danny Daly recites the poem, omitting the lines referring to Ireland.