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The poem features Aengus, a hero from Irish mythology. One night, a maiden appears to him in a dream
or apparition, and Aengus thereafter travels for many years in search of her.
In the real myth, Aengus eventually finds her at the edge of a lake but she is under a spell and is being
forced to live a life as a swan. Aengus jumps into the lake after her and is also transformed into a swan.
Together they sing songs that are so beautiful that those who hear them are lulled to sleep. They live for
a year as swans before regaining their human shape.
"The Song of Wandering Aengus" takes the story at its very beginning, when Aengus meets the
maiden in his dream and then searches for her.
ABOUT THE POET
William Butler Yeats was born in County Dublin (Ireland) in 1865, although the family soon relocated to
Sligo which the young poet came to think of as his spiritual home.
The family moved to England in 1876 so that their father could further his own career as an artist. At first
the young William was home-schooled and entered formal schooling only at the age of 12, where his
performance was described as mediocre.
When the poet was 15, however, the family returned to Dublin and it was here that he began writing
poetry, with his first works being published when he was about 17.
Yeats had a deep interest in mysticism, spiritualism, occultism and astrology, something that is reflected
in many of his poems. Indeed, his "Second Coming" cannot be understood unless this astrological
background is realised.
He was also involved in Irish nationalism, something too that is reflected in much of his writing.
In 1883 - when the poet was but 18 - he met Maud Gonne, then a 23 year old heiress. Their friendship
would last some 33 years.
By 1916, when Yeats was already 51 years old, he probably realised that chance of marriage with children
was passing him by. He suddenly became intent on having both and decided to propose to Maud Gonne
but she turned him down.
Two rumours arose out of this: first, that his poem "Wild Swans at Coole" was written after the
"shock" of his being turned down and, second, that Maud Gonne suggested he rather marry her
daughter, Iseult.
Probably neither story is true although marriage to the daughter had a greater chance of bearing offspring
than did the poet's marrying the mother.
It seems also likely that the proposal to Gonne herself was more a point of etiquette and that the poet
couched it with such conditions that refusal was the intention.
Yeats did then propose to the daughter but she likewise turned him down. Within months, however, the
poet married the 24 year-old Georgie Hyde-Lees with whom he had two children.
Yeats won several awards for his work, including the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923. He died in France
in January 1939 at the age of 74.
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:
"The song of the wandering Aengus" is an example of a fantasy poem.
- What is meant by fantasy? (2)
[Need help?]
Fantasy is a made up story which has parts which are not real. In other words, it might involve magic,
enchantment or the supernatural. Fantasies may contain talking animals, wizards, etc.
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- Give your reasons for describing "Wandering Aengus" as a fantasy story. (4)
[Need help?]
Here are some reasons:
- The poet caught a fish which turned into a woman;
- The woman knew the poet by name even though they had never met;
- The woman disappeared like a ghost into the air;
- The poet has spent the rest of his life searching for her and, when he finds her, they will spend eternity
with each other.
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"I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread."
- What is a hazel wood? Why has the poet used this particular type of forest for his
story? (4)
[Need help?]
The hazel tree is a type of birch. It is best known because it produces hazel nuts. Its flowers are small
and bright red in colour.
The poet has particularly used this forest because hazel trees have come to be associated with druids,
wizardry and folklore.
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- What was the fire in his head? (4)
[Need help?]
The "fire" could have been several things. Perhaps it was a simple headache. More probably it
was something that was troubling the poet and he needed some peace and quiet to get his mind straight.
The "fire" is sometimes a reference to a sexual fire - the poet is burning up with sexual desire for
a woman.
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- Why does the poet use the words "hazel wand"? (4)
[Need help?]
The poet has cut for himself a long, thin, straight branch from the tree which he will use as a fishing rod.
Such a long, thin and straight branch is often referred to as a "wand".
The word "wand", however, is often associated with witches and witchcraft. It is therefore a very
suitable word here because it combines the meaning of "fishing wand" and "magic wand"
because this is, after all, a story of fantasy and magic.
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- What is the purpose of the berry hooked to a thread? (2)
[Need help?]
The berry is red in colour and will serve as bait or a lure to catch the fish, rather like an artificial fly in trout
fishing.
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"When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire a-flame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And someone called me by my name."
- Why is the poet blowing the fire a-flame? (2)
[Need help?]
The poet wants to cook his fish but he needs to get the fire going again first.
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- What two words tell you that the poet doesn't know who or what is calling his
name? (2)
[Need help?]
The poet uses the words "something" and "someone".
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- Why is the poet so deliberately vague? (2)
[Need help?]
The poet is creating a mystical magical effect. Suddenly, in the midst of a forest, he hears his name being
called but he doesn't know the origin of the voice.
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- What is the origin of the voice? (2)
[Need help?]
The origin of the voice is the silver fish which he has caught but which has now magically turned into a
woman.
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