Analysis of The Song Of Wandering Aengus

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



I WENT out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.
When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire aflame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And some one called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.
Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands.
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.


Scheme ABCBDEFEGHGHIJKJDLMLNOPO
Poetic Form
Metre 11110101 010101011 01010101 01010101 01110101 011101001 11010001 01010101 11111101 111101001 1101101 01111111 110101001 11010001 11111101 010101001 11111100 11010101 11111111 01010101 0101111 01110111 01010101 01010101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 806
Words 166
Sentences 5
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 24
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 638
Words per stanza (avg) 164
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 02, 2023

49 sec read
152

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

8 fans

Discuss this William Butler Yeats poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Song Of Wandering Aengus" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/39549/the-song-of-wandering-aengus>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    3
    hours
    53
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Lewis Carroll wrote: "You are old father William, the young man said..."
    A "and you seem to have lost your sight"
    B "and your eyes have become less bright"
    C "and you're going to die tonight"
    D "and your hair has become very white"