An Irish Airman Foresees His Death

Jos · 29 September 2009, 03:41 PM

Hello,

I found this poem by W.B. Yeats (1865–1939).

An Irish Airman foresees his Death

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 man, 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.

Jos

Nacho · 29 September 2009, 06:00 PM

It's crazy to see how these men knew that they were gonna face certain death most of the time and yet, they still flew. I remember reading of a pilot, I can't recall who, although I know he was american (of WW1 of course) that during his time in WW1, he would have constant nightmares of him facing some man. He said he didn't know if the man he was facing was going to be the next person he would shoot down or if it was the person that would shoot him down.

jastaflieger · 29 September 2009, 06:42 PM

WB Yeats
wrote this poem in memory of his friend Major Robert Gregory, who was shot down by an Italian pilot by mistake while serving in 66 Sqdn. Gregory was the son of Lady Augusta of Gregory, he painted and designed many of the sets that were used for Yeat's plays and was a close friend of the writer.

jim
more to come about Tumult in the Clouds at San Antonio!