William Butler Yeats An Irish Airman's Death

William Butler Yeats wonderfully describes a raw and honest reflection of war from a airman's standpoint in “An Irish Airman foresees his Death.” In plainly acknowledging his impending doom through WW1, the Airman reflects on the meaning of his death and the meaning of the war, ultimately concluding that both were a personal waste.

Initially the airman states that “Those that I fight I do not hate, / Those that I guard I do not love,” which implies a discontinuity between the Airman’s purpose and his nation, Ireland’s, purpose. Contrast to the motives of his nation, the Airman has no harsh hatred toward the enemy, perhaps out of an unawareness of the enemy’s wrongs, but, more importantly, he does not love his own people. In coming from Ireland during WW1, the Airman has probably experienced the struggles caused by the war, or the time leading up to the war, for a long time. This being stated, the Airman shows his poverty in stating that “[his] countrymen Kiltartan’s poor.” Those living in poverty often, and justifiably, blame the government for their struggles, so the Airman does not love those he guards because he lives in poverty, and is unable to escape poverty.

If, in fighting the war, the Airman dies, his people would not be affected. Due to the large number of deaths produced by WW1, the death of one person smears into the death of millions, becoming unrecognizable. But, if, in fighting the war, no matter which side wins, the narrator believes that his people would not be not be aided either way, perhaps due to his people’s financial