Question

Does Yeats's poem "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" seem to be traditional or modernist to you? Explain your opinion with reference to the poem.

Answer 1

If you think the poem is more traditional than modernist, you might include the following points:

The poem offers a complete statement of a viewpoint.The poem does not offer room for a variety of interpretations.The poem has a definite rhyme scheme and rhythm.The poem does not contain any unusual visual imagery.

If you think the poem is more modernist than traditional, you might include the following points:

The speaker's choice to take part in the war is not based on a traditional motive such as the pursuit of a noble cause, the love of justice, a desire to free people from oppression, or a desire for glory or heroism. Instead, it stems from the view that life is futile, and his decision to join the war effort comes from an inexplicable, almost absurd "impulse of delight." The absence of a major motive seems to turn the traditional treatment of war upside down.
The poem's message to readers seems ambivalent—the airman's choice is clearly explained, but it's hard for readers to decide how to respond to it.

Answer 2

If you think the poem is more traditional than modernist, you might include the following points:

The poem offers a complete statement of a viewpoint.

The poem does not offer room for a variety of interpretations.

The poem has a definite rhyme scheme and rhythm.

The poem does not contain any unusual visual imagery.

If you think the poem is more modernist than traditional, you might include the following points:

The speaker's choice to take part in the war is not based on a traditional motive such as the pursuit of a noble cause, the love of justice, a desire to free people from oppression, or a desire for glory or heroism. Instead, it stems from the view that life is futile, and his decision to join the war effort comes from an inexplicable, almost absurd "impulse of delight." The absence of a major motive seems to turn the traditional treatment of war upside down.

The poem's message to readers seems ambivalent—the airman's choice is clearly explained, but it's hard for readers to decide how to respond to it. PLATO