Take turns reading ‘An Irish Airman Foresees his Death’ aloud in pairs. The Irish airman who speaks in this poem risks his life for Britain during the First World War. Do you think he struggles with his identity as a result?
An Irish Airman Foresees his Death By W. B. Yeats
I know that I shall meet my fate Somewhere among the clouds above; Those that I fi ght I do not hate, Those that I guard I do not love; My country is Kiltartan Cross, My countrymen Kiltartan’s poor, No likely end could bring them loss Or leave them happier than before. Nor law, nor duty bade me fi ght, Nor public men, nor cheering crowds, A lonely impulse of delight Drove to this tumult in the clouds; I balanced all, brought all to mind, The years to come seemed waste of breath, A waste of breath the years behind In balance with this life, this death.
Understand
1. Identify the rhyming scheme in this poem. 2. The airman knows that he will die in action. Find the line that supports this statement. 3. Say how the airman feels about: (a) those he fights against
(b) those he fights for. 4. Was the airman forced to join the war? Explore
3 3
1. What is the ‘impulse of delight’ that drove the speaker to join the war as an airman, in your opinion?
2. How do you know that the airman accepts his death?
3. This poem is a dramatic monologue. What qualities does it share with the poem ‘The Target’ (page 168)?
