W.B. Yeats Essay Plan Poetry

Question: A personal response to Yeats’ poetry/Why Yeats’ poetry appeals to you/A talk you would give on Yeats’ poetry etc. etc. Answering the Question Choose 4 elements of Yeats’ poetry that you enjoyed/responded to/were moved by etc. etc. In your introduction mention the 4 points in relation to why Yeats’ poetry appeals to you but don’t go into detail on them. Wait for the main body of your answer to discuss them in detail. Focus instead on: * A general introduction to Yeats * A specific sentence on each of the 4 elements you will discuss. * Name the poems you plan to discuss.

Possible Points of Discussion The strong relationship Yeats makes between art and politics is interesting/appealing. He uses his writing to express his attitudes towards Irish politics. He believed art could serve a political function – commenting on politics as well as educating the public. * An Irish Airman Foresees His Death, September 1913, Easter 1916   Yeats’ poetry is deeply personal, he pours his thoughts, feelings and memories into his poetry. Yet he also combines this with his knowledge of history, politics and mythology which makes his poetry fascinating/appealing/interesting * The Lake Isle of Inisfree, September 1913, The Wild Swans at Coole, An Irish Airman Foresees His Death, Easter 1916, Sailing to Byzantium

Possible Points of Discussion 3. Yeats is captivated by the beauty of nature and he uses it to reflect on love, longing and loss. * The Lake Isle of Inisfree, The Wild Swans at Coole 4. Yeats is often preoccupied with the idea of growing old and the sense of disappointment and loss that can accompany it. * The Wild Swans at Coole, Sailing to Byzantium 

Possible Points of Discussion 5. Throughout his poetry Yeats makes effective use of symbolism which is interesting/appealing etc. For example, in The Wild Swans at Coole swans are a symbol of a flawless, unchanging ideal. * The Wild Swans at Coole, Sailing to Byzantium 6. Yeats’ poetry deals with many different themes but they all have vivid/captivating/distinctive imagery in common. * The Lake Isle of Inisfree, September 1913, The Wild Swans at Coole, An Irish Airman Foresees His Death, Easter 1916, Sailing to Byzantium

Poetic Techniques When discussing any of these points in your paragraphs you must also connect your point back to specific poetic techniques. For example: How his theme of nature/use of language/poetry’s personal nature/his vivid imagery etc. are connected with or created by or developed through: Imagery Theme Tone/Mood Rhythm Rhyme Language Punctuation Sound effects (alliteration/onomatopoeia) Metaphors/similes

If you are not discussing the poems in relation to some of these points you are not answering the question correctly. Do not just summarise the poem – analyse it according to the above techniques and show it connects with or is created by or is developed through whatever point you are making about Yeats’s poetry.