September 1913
What line is repeated at the end of each stanza?
"Romantic Ireland’s dead and gone, It’s with O’Leary in the grave."
What phrase is repeated at the end of each stanza?
"A terrible beauty is born"
How many swans does the speaker count on the water?
59 "Upon the brimming water among the stones Are nine-and-fifty swans."
Which county is Ben Bulben in?
Sligo
In which country did he die?
France
What image shows Yeats' hatred for the middle class?
“fumbling in a greasy till”.
What does "motley" mean?
Clothing made up of a variety of colours (the clothes of a jester)
How long has it been since the speaker first counted the swans?
19 "The nineteenth autumn has come upon me Since I first made my count"
In which specific Sligo churchyard does Yeats state he is laid to rest?
Drumcliff churchyard
What did his father do for a living?
Portrait artist
What is meant by “Romantic Ireland”?
An idealised Ireland of the past—full of heroism, passion, nationalism, and sacrifice
Name any two figures mentioned in the final stanza
Thomas MacDonagh, John MacBride, James Connolly, Patrick Pearse
How has the speaker’s emotional state changed since he first saw the swans?
He has grown older and more sorrowful; his heart is now “sore,” unlike before when he felt lighter and more carefree
Yeats mentions a famous Renaissance artist who left "proof" of his genius on the Sistine Chapel roof. Who is he?
Michael Angelo (Michelangelo)
Who was Yeats' love interest for much of his life?
Maud Gonne
Finish the quote, "In all their loneliness and pain, You'd cry, "Some woman's...
yellow hair/ Has maddened every mother's son"
Yeats refers to one man as a "vainglorious lout". Who was this man, and who was the woman he "wronged"?
Major John MacBride; he was the estranged husband of Maud Gonne (Yeats's love interest).
What contrast does Yeats create between the swans and the speaker?
The swans are timeless, energetic, and unchanged, while the speaker feels aged, tired, and aware of change
In Section IV, Yeats mentions the "Quattrocento." To which historical period of art and intellectual "awakening" is he referring to?
The Renaissance
What year was he born? (Correct within 8 years)
1865
What is iambic tetrameter?
Four-beat lines that follow the rhythm da-DUM, da-DUM (unstressed, stressed syllable)
Finish the quote, "Too long a sacrifice...
Can make a stone of the heart."
Finish the quote, "Delight men's eyes when I awake...
some day/ To find they have flown away?"
Finish the quote, “Irish poets learn your trade...
Sing whatever is well made”.
Which paramilitary organisation did Yeats compose several songs for?
The Blueshirts