Primary actions: The speaker goes to the hazel wood, catches a trout, and sees a glimmering girl who runs away.
End rhymes: flame/name, hair/air
Repetition: "And" and "When" are repeated at the beginning of multiple lines, and "fading" is repeated once.
Aengus's quest: To find the glimmering girl and live a life of joy and beauty.
Word that suggests Aengus is chanting a song: The word "song" in the title of the poem.
Primary Actions in the Three Stanzas of "The Song of Wandering Aengus"
Stanza 1:
The speaker goes to the hazel wood.
He cuts and peels a hazel wand.
He hooks a berry to a thread.
He drops the berry in a stream and catches a little silver trout.
Stanza 2:
The speaker lays the trout on the floor and goes to blow the fire aflame.
He hears something rustle on the floor and hears someone call his name.
He sees a glimmering girl with apple blossom in her hair.
She calls his name and runs and fades through the brightening air.
Stanza 3:
The speaker says that he is old with wandering through hollow lands and hilly lands.
He says that he will find out where the girl has gone.
He says that he will kiss her lips and take her hands.
He says that he will walk among long dappled grass.
He says that he will pluck the silver apples of the moon and the golden apples of the sun till time and times are done.
End Rhymes and Repetition in the Second Stanza
End rhymes:
flame/name
hair/air
Repetition:
"And" is repeated at the beginning of three lines.
"When" is repeated at the beginning of two lines.
"fading" is repeated once.
Aengus's Quest in the Poem:
Aengus's quest in the poem is to find the glimmering girl who called his name and ran away. He is determined to find her and kiss her lips and take her hands. He is also determined to live a life of joy and beauty, symbolized by the silver apples of the moon and the golden apples of the sun.
Word That Suggests Aengus is Chanting a Song:
The word "song" in the title of the poem suggests that Aengus is chanting the poem as a song. The poem also has a rhythmic quality that suggests it is meant to be sung or chanted.