Question

Extra points for this ‼️‼️

Read the poem carefully and answer the questions

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;

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,
Nor 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.





What is this poem about? What is the overall mood of the poem?

Answer 1

Both poems focus on the topic of death, but they convey opposite messages. In "Do not go gentle into that good night," Thomas uses the refrain "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" to develop the theme "No matter what, it is important to struggle to stay alive." Yeats, on the other hand, uses parallelism throughout "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" to show that life and death are balanced. This helps develop the theme of the poem: "Because death is inevitable, it does not matter if one lives or dies."

Answer 2

Hello! I hope this answer helps you. Based on the lines, which talk about this person’s country, it’s people, and this person’s relationships. Particularly when the person was “those that I fight I do not hate” make me think that this person is perhaps a soldier maybe craving death, or being curious about it. The mood of the poem is very lonely, as you can see this person doesn’t care about anyone, and they think of their life as a waste of breath.