AN IRISH AIRMAN FORSEES HIS DEATH By W.B. Yeats
POEM: I know that I shall meet my fate somewhere among the clouds above; those that I fight I do not hate, EXPLANATION: Meet my fate = to die. “I know that I’m going to die” This poem is about a fighter pilot in World War 2. He believes that he will die whilst flying his plane Some people sign up to the armed forces because they hate the enemy. They want to kill as many as they can. But not this Irish airman. He doesn’t have any particular hatred for the nation he is fighting. Neither does he have any overwhelming ‘love’ for his nation. That’s not what inspires him to fight. In a war situation, you fight for your country. However, the Irish airman points out that his world is limited to where he lives. He lives in Kiltartan Cross. That’s what’s dear to him. That’s what he loves. That’s what he feels protective towards. He doesn’t relate to places that are further away, even if they’re in the same country. Similarly, his ‘people’ are not the Irish or British people as a whole. He’s very local and specific in his focus. His people are the people whom he sees in Kiltartan; with whom he has personal relationships. Also, wars are usually fought because of the ambitions of wealthy men. However, his people are poor. They’re not the one’s dreaming of the glory or gains of war. He points out that this war really doesn’t have much to do with his people in Kiltartan. Whether Britain wins or loses the war, it probably wouldn’t have too much of an impact on them. Life for them would go on as before. So now he gets to the reasons why he joined the armed forces. Firstly he tells us that he didn’t join because the law said he had to (this is called conscription). Neither did he join because he felt it was his duty to do so. In times of war, politicians try to inspire people to sign up to fight. They make stirring speeches and get everyone all revved up. This was NOT the reason why the Irish airman joined though. Neither was he...