Upon first reading, Yeats’ poetry can be challenging but it’s incredibly rewarding when deciphered. Despite complex language and abstract metaphors, Yeats employs many stylistic devices to make his poetry more accessible. The area I found most rewarding was his subject matter. The philosophical nature was very demanding but offered us a different perspective on both life and Irish history.
On a technical level, Yeats’ poems are superb. In my opinion however, the simple things, executed immaculately, are the most effective in his poems. The power of the opening lines is phenomenal. When he uses these in a dramatic way it engages the reader, drawing interest which is never relinquished. In ‘An Irish Airman Foresees His Death’, Yeats opens with …show more content…
His work is saturated with ciphered symbols which require a lot of work to understand the full meaning. This I find incredibly rewarding. A perfect example is found in ‘The Wild Swans At Coole” in which love, loneliness and the passage of time are explored. The most thought provoking lines occur in the second half of the poem. Yeats’ describes the swans as they “paddle in the cold companionable streams, or climb the air”. The literal meaning to this is obvious but deeper symbolism is involved and when deciphered I gained a deeper understanding about relationships, about the difference a shared life makes, compared to a lonely existence. I feel at the heart of the poem, this is what Yeats’ wanted to convey. However, the most rewarding and beautiful example of this is from ‘An Irish Airman Foresees His Death’. Yeats’ adopts the persona of the late Robert Gregory and contemplates the decision making involved in volunteering for the RAF. He says “A lonely impulse of delight, drove to this tumult in the clouds”. Once again, the literal meaning is obvious and beautifully captured. However the true, and figurative, meaning leads us to Yeats’ conclusion about Gregory’s motivation. This was the challenging aspect. Personally I found it quite chilling but the image of a young man knowingly heading into battle and almost certain destruction, is poignant, beautiful and thought provoking. The sense of resignation offers a new perspective and challenges our ideals. The underlying message, that one can put oneself in danger just to feel the thrill of being alive reinforces that Yeats’ work can be challenging both in terms of style and subject
On a technical level, Yeats’ poems are superb. In my opinion however, the simple things, executed immaculately, are the most effective in his poems. The power of the opening lines is phenomenal. When he uses these in a dramatic way it engages the reader, drawing interest which is never relinquished. In ‘An Irish Airman Foresees His Death’, Yeats opens with …show more content…
His work is saturated with ciphered symbols which require a lot of work to understand the full meaning. This I find incredibly rewarding. A perfect example is found in ‘The Wild Swans At Coole” in which love, loneliness and the passage of time are explored. The most thought provoking lines occur in the second half of the poem. Yeats’ describes the swans as they “paddle in the cold companionable streams, or climb the air”. The literal meaning to this is obvious but deeper symbolism is involved and when deciphered I gained a deeper understanding about relationships, about the difference a shared life makes, compared to a lonely existence. I feel at the heart of the poem, this is what Yeats’ wanted to convey. However, the most rewarding and beautiful example of this is from ‘An Irish Airman Foresees His Death’. Yeats’ adopts the persona of the late Robert Gregory and contemplates the decision making involved in volunteering for the RAF. He says “A lonely impulse of delight, drove to this tumult in the clouds”. Once again, the literal meaning is obvious and beautifully captured. However the true, and figurative, meaning leads us to Yeats’ conclusion about Gregory’s motivation. This was the challenging aspect. Personally I found it quite chilling but the image of a young man knowingly heading into battle and almost certain destruction, is poignant, beautiful and thought provoking. The sense of resignation offers a new perspective and challenges our ideals. The underlying message, that one can put oneself in danger just to feel the thrill of being alive reinforces that Yeats’ work can be challenging both in terms of style and subject