An Irish Airman Forsees His Death

William Butler Yeats 1865 (Sandymount) – 1939 (Menton)



I KNOW that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love;
My county 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 fight,
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.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 28, 2023

32 sec read
179

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCDCEFGFGHIHI
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 547
Words 107
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 16

William Butler Yeats

William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. more…

All William Butler Yeats poems | William Butler Yeats Books

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