Language and style

It is very important for you to address the language and style of the poem “Easter 1916” by William Butler Yeats, as several elements can deepen your understanding of its theme.

Playing with the language

The poet plays with language quite a lot through several metaphors and allusions. For example, the metaphor of the “meaningless words” (l. 6) indicates the superior position in which Yeats sees himself in comparison with others. He is not too distant as not to speak to the workingmen, yet he sees himself as far too superior to belong to their level.

The author also plays with language through irony. For instance, the “casual comedy” (l. 37) is, in fact, an ironic way of viewing war and revolution, as nothing is amusing in such circumstances. The poet is also ironic when depicting MacBride as a “drunken, vainglorious lout” (l. 32).

Finally, the poet plays with language through several words filled with symbolism. The word “enchanted” (l. 43) hints at an almost supernatural way through which the dead are still live in the memory of others. The “wingèd horse” (l. 25) is a reference to the Greek Pegasus, which is yet another way of indicating that something supernatural takes place in the poem.

Tense of the verbs

The poem “Easter 1916” involves a mixture of tenses. Stanza 1, for instance, contains verbs in the present perfect tense – “have met” (l. 1) or “have passed” (l. 5) – but also verbs in the past simple – “lived” (l. 14) or “changed” (l. 15). This mixture of tenses shows how the peaceful living of the Irish has suddenly changed because of the Easter Rising.

Stanza 2 presents a combination of past tenses with conditionals. For example, the woman “rode” (l. 23) in the past, just like the man “ke...