The Song of Wandering Aengus
The poem 'The Song of Wandering Aengus' by W.B. Yeats is a lyrical exploration of longing and transformation. It begins with the speaker, Aengus, who is driven by an inner fire to venture into the woods. There, he catches a fish that transforms into a 'glimmering girl' who calls his name and then disappears. This mystical encounter leaves Aengus yearning to find her again, symbolizing an eternal quest for beauty and love. The poem's imagery of 'silver apples of the moon' and 'golden apples of the sun' suggests a blend of the mystical and the tangible, representing the unattainable ideals that Aengus pursues. Yeats uses this narrative to delve into themes of desire, the passage of time, and the intersection of the real and the fantastical. The poem is noted for its melodic quality and its ability to evoke a sense of wonder and timelessness.
| Word | In English | Plain (English) | Pron. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aengus | A character from Irish mythology | A mythical figure often associated with love and youth | Aengus |
| wandering | roaming | moving around without a fixed path | wandering |
| glimmering | shining faintly | giving off a faint, soft light | glimmering |
| lyrical | expressive | having a musical quality and expressing emotions | lyrical |
| ballad | narrative song | a poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas | ballad |
| circumstantial | detailed | relating to or dependent on circumstances | circumstantial |
| infatuated | obsessed | possessed by an intense but short-lived passion | infatuated |
| devoted | dedicated | very loving or loyal | devoted |
| fantastical | imaginary | strange and wonderful, like something from a fantasy | fantastical |
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and co-founded the Abbey Theatre. Yeats was awarded the 1923 Nobel Prize in Literature and served as a Senator of the Irish Free State.
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