“An Irish Airman Foresees His Death” was written by the Irish poet W.B. Yeats in 1918. Told from the perspective of an Irish fighter pilot in World War I, the poem is critical of both the war in general and specifically of British rule over Ireland (which lasted until 1922). The speaker argues that the outcome of the war is ultimately meaningless for his small community in western Ireland, and that he feels no hatred towards his enemies nor love for the British. He pursues the dangerous pleasure of airborne combat not out of duty or patriotism, and is instead driven only by a "lonely impulse of delight." The poem also serves as a memorial to Robert Gregory, an Irish airman and the son of one of Yeats's close friends who was killed in WWI at the age of 36.
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The Full Text of “An Irish Airman Foresees his Death”
1I know that I shall meet my fate
2Somewhere among the clouds above;
3Those that I fight I do not hate,
4Those that I guard I do not love;
5My country is Kiltartan Cross,
6My countrymen Kiltartan’s poor,
7No likely end could bring them loss
8Or leave them happier than before.
9Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,
10Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,
11A lonely impulse of delight
12Drove to this tumult in the clouds;
13I balanced all, brought all to mind,
14The years to come seemed waste of breath,
15A waste of breath the years behind
16In balance with this life, this death.
The Full Text of “An Irish Airman Foresees his Death”
1I know that I shall meet my fate
2Somewhere among the clouds above;
3Those that I fight I do not hate,
4Those that I guard I do not love;
5My country is Kiltartan Cross,
6My countrymen Kiltartan’s poor,
7No likely end could bring them loss
8Or leave them happier than before.
9Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,
10Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,
11A lonely impulse of delight
12Drove to this tumult in the clouds;
13I balanced all, brought all to mind,
14The years to come seemed waste of breath,
15A waste of breath the years behind
16In balance with this life, this death.
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“An Irish Airman Foresees his Death” Summary
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“An Irish Airman Foresees his Death” Themes
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War and Death
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Irish Identity and British War
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “An Irish Airman Foresees his Death”
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Lines 1-4
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; -
Lines 5-8
My country is Kiltartan Cross,
My countrymen Kiltartan’s poor,
No likely end could bring them loss
Or leave them happier than before. -
Lines 9-12
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; -
Lines 13-16
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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“An Irish Airman Foresees his Death” Symbols
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Cheering Crowds
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“An Irish Airman Foresees his Death” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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End-Stopped Line
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Enjambment
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Alliteration
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Assonance
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Consonance
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Metaphor
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Repetition
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Caesura
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Chiasmus
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“An Irish Airman Foresees his Death” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Fate
- Guard
- Kiltartan Cross
- Kiltartan's Poor
- End
- Bade
- Public Men
- Tumult
- Balanced
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “An Irish Airman Foresees his Death”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“An Irish Airman Foresees his Death” Speaker
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“An Irish Airman Foresees his Death” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “An Irish Airman Foresees his Death”
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More “An Irish Airman Foresees his Death” Resources
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External Resources
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W.B. Yeats Reads "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" — The poet recites "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death."
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W. B. Yeats's Biography — A detailed biography of Yeats from the Poetry Foundation.
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Blake Morrison on "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death." — The contemporary Irish poet Blake Morrison reflects on "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death."
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Background Info — Connie Ruzich provides detailed background on "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death."
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Major Robert Gregory — An article on the life of Major Robert Gregory, the Irish pilot memorialized by W.B. Yeats in "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death."
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LitCharts on Other Poems by William Butler Yeats
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