1. Prepare a profile of W.B. Yeats using the hints given below. Use appropriate linkers, wherever necessary.
Birth : June 13, 1865, Sandymount, Republic of Ireland
Spouse : Georgiana Hyde Lees
Renowned as : Poet, dramatist, senator, founder of Abbey Theatre
Major works : Celtic Twilight, The Tower, A Vision
Key traits : Symbolism, allusive imagery
Awards : Nobel Prize in Literature, December, 1923
Death : January 28, 1939
Answer: W. B. Yeats
William Butler Yeats was born on June 13, 1865 in Sandymount, Republic of Ireland. His wife was Georgiana Hyde Lees. Yeats was a renowned poet and dramatist. He was also famous as a senator and the founder of the Abbey Theatre. His major works are ‘Celtic Twilight’, ‘The Tower’, ‘A Vision’ etc. Symbolism and allusive imagery are the main characteristics of his writing style. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in December 1923. Yeats passed away on January 28, 1939.
2. Read the following lines from the poem ‘The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ and write an appreciation focusing on the theme, imagery and other poetic devices.
‘And is the poor man dead?’ he cried
‘He died an hour ago.’
The old priest Peter Gilligan
In grief swayed to and fro.
‘When you were gone, he turned and died,
As merry as a bird.’
The old priest Peter Gilligan
He knelt him at that word.
‘He Who hath made the night of stars
For souls who tire and bleed,
Sent one of this great angels down,
To help me in my need.
‘He Who is wrapped in purple robes,
With planets in His care
Had pity on the least of things
Asleep upon a chair.’
Answer: These lines are part of the poem ‘The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ which is a perfect ballad by W.B. Yeats in every sense. This poem tells the story of an old priest, Father Gilligan. Half of his people in the parish were either in sick-bed or already dead due to an epidemic. Day and night Father Gilligan was in service of them and he was very tired and weak. He could not attend one sick-man’s last moments, as he fell asleep in his chair. Realizing that he had failed to do his duty, the next morning in great grief Father Gilligan rode on his horse to the man’s house. When he reached there, his wife told the priest that her husband had already died and she asked him why he came again. From her question Father Gilligan understood that in his absence God had sent an angel to perform his duties. He knelt and cried in repentance and thanked God for His mercy.
The rhyme scheme of the poem is abcb. The images of a powerful but merciful God and a pious priest can be visualized from these lines. Repeating the line ‘The old priest Peter Gilligan’ and the words ‘priest’ and ‘Peter’, the poetic devices ‘refrain’ and ‘alliteration’ are used respectively. The line ‘As merry as a bird’ is an example of ‘simile’. The theme of the poem is made up of God’s mercy and the priest’s pity and piety.
3. Read the following lines from the poem ‘The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ and prepare a note of appreciation.
‘Mavrone, mavrone! The man has died
While I slept in the chair’;
He roused his horse out of its sleep
And rode with little care.
He rode now as he never rode,
By rocky lane and fen;
The sick man’s wife opened the door,
‘Father! you come again!’
‘And is the poor man dead?’ he cried
‘He died an hour ago.’
The old priest Peter Gilligan
In grief swayed to and fro.
Answer: The celebrated ballad ‘The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ was written by the famous Irish poet William Butler Yeats. In this poem we can see a priest named Gilligan who was tired of continuous service night and day. The poet narrates an incident that saved father Gilligan from damnation.
Father Gilligan, an old priest, who was sad because all his parishioners were under the threat of an epidemic. One evening a man came to the priest and informed that his friend was dying. Father told him that he would visit him soon. But he fell asleep. Next morning father woke from his sleep. He rode to the dead man’s house. Repentance came to father for not performing his duty. The dead man’s wife told him that her husband died as merry as a bird after the father had gone. On hearing that, father Gilligan understood that God had sent one of his angels to perform his duty and saved him from damnation. Father knelt and prayed to God for being kind and merciful to him.
The ballad is rich in various sensuous images. The figures of speech used by the poet are excellent. A series of rhyming words enrich the poem. The poem follows the rhyme scheme abcb.
This is absolutely a fabulous ballad. It is an eye - opener for those who do not believe in God. The wonderful tune of the ballad makes reading interesting.
Birth : June 13, 1865, Sandymount, Republic of Ireland
Spouse : Georgiana Hyde Lees
Renowned as : Poet, dramatist, senator, founder of Abbey Theatre
Major works : Celtic Twilight, The Tower, A Vision
Key traits : Symbolism, allusive imagery
Awards : Nobel Prize in Literature, December, 1923
Death : January 28, 1939
Answer: W. B. Yeats
William Butler Yeats was born on June 13, 1865 in Sandymount, Republic of Ireland. His wife was Georgiana Hyde Lees. Yeats was a renowned poet and dramatist. He was also famous as a senator and the founder of the Abbey Theatre. His major works are ‘Celtic Twilight’, ‘The Tower’, ‘A Vision’ etc. Symbolism and allusive imagery are the main characteristics of his writing style. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in December 1923. Yeats passed away on January 28, 1939.
2. Read the following lines from the poem ‘The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ and write an appreciation focusing on the theme, imagery and other poetic devices.
‘And is the poor man dead?’ he cried
‘He died an hour ago.’
The old priest Peter Gilligan
In grief swayed to and fro.
‘When you were gone, he turned and died,
As merry as a bird.’
The old priest Peter Gilligan
He knelt him at that word.
‘He Who hath made the night of stars
For souls who tire and bleed,
Sent one of this great angels down,
To help me in my need.
‘He Who is wrapped in purple robes,
With planets in His care
Had pity on the least of things
Asleep upon a chair.’
Answer: These lines are part of the poem ‘The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ which is a perfect ballad by W.B. Yeats in every sense. This poem tells the story of an old priest, Father Gilligan. Half of his people in the parish were either in sick-bed or already dead due to an epidemic. Day and night Father Gilligan was in service of them and he was very tired and weak. He could not attend one sick-man’s last moments, as he fell asleep in his chair. Realizing that he had failed to do his duty, the next morning in great grief Father Gilligan rode on his horse to the man’s house. When he reached there, his wife told the priest that her husband had already died and she asked him why he came again. From her question Father Gilligan understood that in his absence God had sent an angel to perform his duties. He knelt and cried in repentance and thanked God for His mercy.
The rhyme scheme of the poem is abcb. The images of a powerful but merciful God and a pious priest can be visualized from these lines. Repeating the line ‘The old priest Peter Gilligan’ and the words ‘priest’ and ‘Peter’, the poetic devices ‘refrain’ and ‘alliteration’ are used respectively. The line ‘As merry as a bird’ is an example of ‘simile’. The theme of the poem is made up of God’s mercy and the priest’s pity and piety.
3. Read the following lines from the poem ‘The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ and prepare a note of appreciation.
‘Mavrone, mavrone! The man has died
While I slept in the chair’;
He roused his horse out of its sleep
And rode with little care.
He rode now as he never rode,
By rocky lane and fen;
The sick man’s wife opened the door,
‘Father! you come again!’
‘And is the poor man dead?’ he cried
‘He died an hour ago.’
The old priest Peter Gilligan
In grief swayed to and fro.
Answer: The celebrated ballad ‘The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ was written by the famous Irish poet William Butler Yeats. In this poem we can see a priest named Gilligan who was tired of continuous service night and day. The poet narrates an incident that saved father Gilligan from damnation.
Father Gilligan, an old priest, who was sad because all his parishioners were under the threat of an epidemic. One evening a man came to the priest and informed that his friend was dying. Father told him that he would visit him soon. But he fell asleep. Next morning father woke from his sleep. He rode to the dead man’s house. Repentance came to father for not performing his duty. The dead man’s wife told him that her husband died as merry as a bird after the father had gone. On hearing that, father Gilligan understood that God had sent one of his angels to perform his duty and saved him from damnation. Father knelt and prayed to God for being kind and merciful to him.
The ballad is rich in various sensuous images. The figures of speech used by the poet are excellent. A series of rhyming words enrich the poem. The poem follows the rhyme scheme abcb.
This is absolutely a fabulous ballad. It is an eye - opener for those who do not believe in God. The wonderful tune of the ballad makes reading interesting.
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