What is the message of An Irish Airman Foresees his Death?

While "In Memory of Major Robert Gregory" is an elegy for Gregory, written from the perspective of Yeats himself, "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" is Yeats' attempt to get inside Gregory's head, so to speak, and describe Gregory's sense of life, certain death, and war.

Subsequently, one may also ask, what is the theme of an Irish Airman Foresees his Death?

Patriotism. "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" is a patriotic poem, but patriotic in a very local way. The speaker doesn't love those he protects, by which he probably means the people of Great Britain, as opposed to just Ireland. So, he's kind of anti-English, but he's definitely pro-Irish.

Likewise, what War Is An Irish Airman Foresees his Death? World War I

Simply so, what is the context of the poem An Irish Airman Foresees his Death?

The poem is a soliloquy given by an aviator in the First World War in which the narrator describes the circumstances surrounding his imminent death. The poem is a work that discusses the role of Irish soldiers fighting for the United Kingdom during a time when they were trying to establish independence for Ireland.

What does kiltartan cross mean?

As you've maybe guessed, Kiltartan Cross is a place in Ireland. In fact, it is the name of a barony in western Ireland (a barony is kind of like a county, but smaller). Kiltartan was home to one Lady Gregory, a very close friend of Yeats' who had this really awesome estate called Coole Park.

9 Related Question Answers Found

Who is the speaker in an Irish Airman Foresees his Death?

Major Robert Gregory

What was the major historic event that inspired the poem An Irish Airman Foresees his Death?

World War I

What does Cloths of Heaven mean?

He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven – analysis. The phrase cloths of heaven is sometimes taken refer to the kind of cloths one might imagine being seen in Heaven, but it's far more likely that Yeats uses the word 'heavens' to mean the sky and the natural world around us.

What does a lonely impulse of delight mean?

Yeats' poem "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" discusses the speaker's feelings about going to war. The speaker states that he is destined to die "among the clouds" as he participates in a war that he doesn't even want. He says he doesn't hate the enemy nor does he love those he defends.

How many loved your moments of glad grace?

“How many loved your moments of glad grace, And loved your beauty with love false or true; But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, And loved the sorrows of your changing face.”