Feiceann píolóta Éireannach a bhás féin in aisling

Publication Instance Details #1874

Publication Overview

Translation	Is Multilingual	Explicit Irish Context?	Ekphrasis	Has Paratext?	Reference to News, Media or Technology
Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No

Details

Human Rights Issues	War
War / Genocide Referenced	War: First World War
Irish Context	Specific Irish place or place-name mentioned WW I (Ireland)
Languages	Irish
Original Language	English
Original Poem	An Irish Airman Foresees his Death
Original Author	William Butler Yeats
Genre	Short Lyric
Medium	Print Collection
Notes	The poem describes an Irish airman foreseeing his own death in the clouds above. The original poem was published in 1918, so the poem most likely refers to events during World War I, when many Irish fought with the British Army. The speaker of the poem describes his motives for joining the army as being selfish - he didn't join out of a sense of responsibility or duty. The speaker mentions that he does not love those for whom he fights, nor does he hate his enemy. Rather, it is the poor and people of Kiltartan that are his 'nation'. Kiltartan is the estate of the Gregory family, with whom the original author, Yeats, was close. The poem was written to commemorate the passing of Robert Gregory, who died ages 36 as an airman in the British Army. In the poem, the speaker acknowledges that this ongoing war, whatever outcome, will have no affect on the people of Kiltartan - they are poor and will remain poor.