I found this poem to be pertinent to the readings about war-making--what drives people into war both private and publicly, as well as Orwell's comment about the "utter silence" imposed upon him and every other English officer. I think it may also relate to our discussions this week on the supposed necessity of war.
An Irish Airman Foresees His Death by W.B. Yeats
I know that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those I fight I do not hate
Those that I guard I do not love;
My country 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;
Nr 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.
3 comments:
i can definitely see how this links to orwell's reading. the airman's choice to fly is similar to the officer's choice to shoot the elephant. the lines 'those i fight i do not hate/ those that i guard i do not love' stood out to me since that's also how the officer described his circumstances in orwell's reading. but i'm a little confused with this airman. in orwell's reading, the officer succumbs to what people expect of them rather than listening to his own personal opinion. in this poem, it seems more complicated. the airman seems to have decided to fly out of impulse. he describes that his life was such a waste and that this 'lonely impulse of delight' (flying) is worth it even though he suspects he will die from it. i'm not entirely sure, but is he implying that his life is a waste because he thinks the war is meaningless because his country will neither benefit nor lose from it? is that why he had the impulse to fly? his character seems more complex than orwell's officer, who merely made his decision so he wouldn't look like a fool.
I agree with the previous comment that the character in here says more about himself than orwell and that those lines resemble that of orwell.
"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" --my interpretation is that these lines seem to express that the airman chose to do this because of his "lonely impulse of delight" (talks about his choice) that caused him to be where he is or be an Airman ("Drove to this tumult in the clouds"). This part is like a suicide note where by saying "I balanced all, brought all to mind, the years to come seem waste of breath, a waste of breath the years behind, in balance with this life, this death," he seems to acknowledge that his life is worthless and is a waste, so there is no real "loss" in his death.
OR it could also be interpreted that not only is he talking about himself, but the motives behind the war as an "impulse of delight" (just because those who in power chose to do so) and that "drove to this tumult in the clouds" or the planes and bombs raging in the sky. then the lines afterwards from "I balanced" to "this death" may imply that it was the dominant idea being implanted in them.
but overall, i think this poem is a great example of internalization. Foucault, in Subject and Power, writes, "there are two meanings of the word 'subject': subject to someone else by control and dependence, and tied to his own identity by a conscience or self-knowledge. both meanings suggest a form of power that subjugates and makes subject to."
thank you Justine and Justine for the insightful poem and ideas.
What this poem made me reflect on is the reasons why people volunteer to serve in the military. I like Justine’s use of the words “private and publicly” – a sense of duty to one’s country, the promise of a higher education, the search for a direction in a life that seems to have no direction...
Yeats’ airman seems to seek an internal glory and does not fear death.
I particularly liked the third and fourth lines –
“Those I fight I do not hate
Those that I guard I do not love”
To this airman, nationalism is senseless as is making an enemy of a brother.
This is a very beautiful poem.
Post a Comment