An Irish Airman foresees his Death Quizzes

An Irish Airman foresees his Death Quiz

1 What does the word "bade" mean?
Feared and dreaded

Surveilled

Instructed or ordered

Killed
2 Who is the poem's speaker?
A commercial pilot flying through a storm

A young boy imagining his future life and death

A member of the British air force

A pilot during the Irish war of independence
3 Why is the speaker unafraid of death?
He is happy to die for the sake of his country

He feels that his life would be wasted anyway

He believes that he will go to heaven after he dies

He has already been wounded so badly that death does not frighten him
4 What does the speaker believe about the war?
That his countrymen will not benefit from either victory or loss

That war is an exciting rite of passage for young men, regardless of nationality

That it is his duty to defend Britain against its enemies

That, if Irish soldiers contribute, they will be granted new rights
5 What does the word "impulse" mean?
Instinct

Wartime draft

Sudden event

Battle
6 Which is an instance of antimetabole?
The years to come seemed waste of breath, / A waste of breath the years behind

Nor law, nor duty bade me fight, / Nor public man, nor cheering crowds,

My country is Kiltartan Cross, / My countrymen Kiltartan’s poor,

I know that I shall meet my fate / Somewhere among the clouds above;
7 What is the poem's meter?
Iambic hexameter

Iambic pentameter

Trochaic pentameter

Iambic tetrameter
8 Which best describes the poem's diction?
Words with Celtic origins serve as a reminder of the speaker's Irishness

Childlike vocabulary hints at the speaker's longing for youth

Jargon lets readers know that the speaker has specialized knowledge

Short, simple words convey directness and disillusionment
9 During which historical event is this poem set?
The Hundred Years War

The English Civil War

World War I

World War II
10 What is Kiltartan?
An army rank used in Ireland

A type of traditional fabric

A region of Ireland

A small airplane used in combat
11 Which historical conflict does this poem discuss?
The Industrial Revolution

The use of chemical weapons in the First World War

The battle for women's suffrage

British imperial rule in Ireland
12 Which best describes the poem's approach to figurative language?
It uses a single extended metaphor to orient the poem

It uses metaphor over simile, which creates more immediacy and vividness

It uses figurative language sparingly, creating a feeling that reality is unrelenting

It uses figurative language to compare military battle to internal conflict
13 What is the poem's rhyme scheme?
ABACABAD

ABACDCEFEGHG

ABBACDDCEFFEGHHG

ABABCDCDEFEFGHGH
14 What is the "fate" referenced in the poem's first line?
Love

Being sent to war

Defending Ireland

Death
15 On which real-life person is the poem's speaker based?
T.S. Eliot

W.B. Yeats

Robert Gregory

Charles Stewart Parnell
16 What type of poem is this?
An elegy

An ekphrastic poem

An acrostic

An aubade
17 What do "public men" and "cheering crowds" symbolize?
Societal pressure to fight in the war

The desire for fame and acclaim

The love of the speaker's community

Widespread support for Irish independence
18 Which best describes the poem?
It is entirely made up of one long sentence

It consists of a series of questions

It is composed of sentence fragments

It is made up of two sentences of equal length
19 Which sound creates alliteration in the line ""My country is Kiltartan Cross"?
T

M

K

S
20 Which best describes this poem's tone?
Effusive

Blunt

Musing

Infuriated
21 Who was Lady Augusta Gregory?
An actress and activist with whom Yeats had a romantic relationship

A writer, member of the Irish cultural revival, and patron of Yeats

A female military pilot

A British aristocrat who enacted harsh colonial policy in Ireland
22 Which phrase includes alliteration?
"A lonely impulse of delight"

"Somewhere among the clouds above"

"A waste of breath the years behind"

"I balanced all, brought all to mind"
23 What does the word "tumult" mean?
Imperialism

Chaos

Treaty

Indecision
24 When did Yeats write this poem?
1789

1894

1945

1918
25 Which is an example of irony?
The speaker sarcastically claims to love fighting, but actually detests it

The speaker believes that he will die, not knowing that he will survive

The speaker finds dignity and agency even within his subjugation

The speaker enjoys fighting, despite the danger it puts him in

An Irish Airman foresees his Death Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for An Irish Airman foresees his Death is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Ask Your Own Question

Study Guide for An Irish Airman foresees his Death

An Irish Airman foresees his Death study guide contains a biography of William Butler Yeats, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Read the Study Guide for An Irish Airman foresees his Death…

Essays for An Irish Airman foresees his Death

An Irish Airman foresees his Death essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of An Irish Airman foresees his Death by William Butler Yeats.

On the Power of the Death Instinct in "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death"