-
1
What are all of the possible meanings of the rose in this collection? Analyze all instances of its appearance in the collection.
-
2
Describe the political climate in which this collection was published. Was Irish nationalism a viable political force at the time?
-
3
Which poems bear on Yeats's relationship with Maud Gonne? What is the dominant emotion in these poems?
-
4
What is the role of the mythical King Fergus in this collection? What does he symbolize to Yeats?
-
5
Examine "The Lake Isle of Inisfree." How does the imagery of Yeats present location contrast with the lake isle where he would like to be?
-
6
How does Yeats' poetic structure reflect the content of his poems? Choose two poems and analyze how their rhyme and meter structures reflect their subject matter.
-
7
Why does Yeats use mythological figures in his collection? What do these allusions add? How might they inform Yeats' political relationships with Ireland and England?
-
8
Analyze the title of "To the Rose upon the Rood of Time." What is its religious symbolism? What does the rose stand for? How can time act as a crucifix?
-
9
Contrast three ancient Greek or Roman allusions in the collection with three instances of Irish mythology. Why does Yeats mix references to Classical mythology with Irish mythology?
-
10
What is Yeats's vision of a more perfect Ireland and Irish people as expressed in this collection? Does he argue that the Irish people ought to change in any way?
Poems of W.B. Yeats: The Rose
