an irish airman foresees his death Flashcards
not about heroism or patriotic fervor
he isn’t motivated by a love of country or desire to protect fellow citizens
he doesn’t risk his life to win honor or glory either
he flies into battle as he feels like the sheer pleasure and exhilaration of flying the the best things he can hope for in his oife
poem breaks many traditions of war poetry. instead of celebrating speakers heroism and courage, it mediates on the sendrlrdsness of war and the futility of patriotism
speaker aware of dangers he faces in battle. he’s sure he’ll die
he’s not motivated by desire to protect fellow citizens “Those that I guard I do not love.” nor for political feelings “Those that I fight I do not hate.”
he insists he wasn’t motivated by politicians or “cheering crowds”, full of patriotic fervor
for speaker and his countrymen the outcome doesn’t matter. either outcome won’t “leave them happier than before.”
dismissed all the reasons why people usually go to war. isn’t fighting for honor, for country or because he cares who wins. it’s the sense of exhilaration and sheer emotion
he’s driven by “a lonely impulse of delight.” nothing else in his life seems worth pursuing
both his past and future seem to him to be a “waste of breath.” he regards his life as pointless so he’s willing to sacrifice it for this dangerous “delight.”
he comes across as very pessimistic. can picture his death but he isn’t troubled by it
doesn’t resist death, doesn’t strive to make his life or death meaningful, isn’t interesting in winning glory or making the lives of fellow citizens better
he seeks a transitory and dangerous pleasure
offers a forceful critique of war itself which he suggests is pointledd
also critiques the patriotic fervor of those who support war, suggesting they’re distant and ignorant of the realities of soldiers who fight jt
the poem breaks the traditions of war poetry and also critiques war itself
poem offers subtle, implicit reason for his pessimism: he’s fighting in wwi, on behalf of britain who at the time ruled ireland in a brutal and oppressive fashion
the speakers pessimism is intended as a sharp criticism of british rule
in the absence of irish political freedom the speaker suggests that his life is meaningless
never explicitly critiques british rule but implicitly highlights the suffering and poverty of irish people living under it
describes his “countrymen” as “Kiltartan’s poor”. by calling them this he defines his “countrymen” in two ways: through their poverty and through their connection to the country where they live, ireland itself with its rural churches and small communities
quick to note that britains participation in wwi won’t help lift these people out of pocetty
if british win, it won’t make “Kiltartan’s poor” any “happier than before”, if they lose that won’t “bring them loss”
quietly accuses british of neglecting the irish. instead of working to make lives of irish better they invest time and resources in big projects like wei that don’t matter to speaker or countrymen
british ask irishmen like speaker to fight and die in the war even though it has no impact in them
it’s a pointed critique of life under british rule, for speaker that life isn’t really much of a. life at all
refers to life as a “waste of breath” and speaker says that’s true of the past and it’s also true of the future, “the years to come” and “the years behind”
even if he survives, speaker doesn’t imagine his life will take on meaning. it won’t become rich pleasurable or rewarding
speakers pessimism subtly indicts british rule, suggesting it’s rendered his life so pointless that his only recourse is to see the suicidal pleasure of fighting in a war he doesn’t even support
