The power of poetry: Finding meaning in sixteen lines

Six hours of sleep, one page of writing, sixteen lines and one confused college student. Sitting at the front of my poetry class, I questioned my purpose there. How could interpreting poetry possibly merit an hour and ten-minute class? 

When the professor handed us our first poem, I was struck by its single, double-spaced paragraph of just 16 lines. How could a story unfold in such a small space? How could a beginning, middle and end emerge from so few words? How could one genuinely convey deep emotions in just 16 lines? How? 

The poem is titled “An Irish Airman Foresees His Death.” I wondered what I could possibly learn from an airman, and how it related to my life, considering the poet fought in World War I, for Ireland, and I am a college student in the Midwest. 

I know that I shall meet my fate 

Somewhere among the clouds above; 

Those that I fight I do not hate, 

Those that I guard I do not love; 

My country is Kiltartan Cross, 

My countrymen Kiltartan’s poor, 

No likely end could bring them loss 

Or leave them happier than before. 

Nor law, nor duty bade me fight, 

Nor public men, nor cheering crowds, 

A lonely impulse of delight 

Drove to this tumult in the clouds; 

I balanced all, brought all to mind, 

The years to come seemed waste of breath, 

A waste of breath the years behind 

In balance with this life, this death. 

–William Butler Yeats 

The first time I read the poem, the words felt foreign. They seemed disjointed, lacking any clear connection. But with each subsequent time I read this poem, the page transformed with annotations of underlines, highlights, question marks and exclamations. I had never invested so much time into understanding and empathizing with a text before. What was it about poetry that hooked me? Why had these 16 lines captivated my attention? 

Then I realized: it was the meaning. 

The line that resonated with me the most was “A lonely impulse of delight.” As I reflected on it, I began to understand the poem’s meaning. The poet did not fight in the war out of a belief that he would make a difference for his country, nor from hatred for the enemy. He did not fight because he had nothing to live for or to defend another. He fought out of a pure love for flying — his passion.

In that moment, I realized how I connected with the airman. The poem reminded me of times when I pursued activities solely for the joy they brought me. It made me reflect on how, as I grow older, I often lose sight of doing things just for pleasure. I no longer read dystopian novels to explore alternate worlds; I read for good grades. I no longer play tennis for the thrill of hitting a tennis ball; I play to win. The poem reminded me that sometimes, simply doing something that brings joy is enough. 

I would not have realized this, had I not taken a chance and given those 16 lines deeper thought. I understood why people write and read poetry: to express and connect their feelings with others, to question the world around them and to seek answers. Poetry provides a space for people to articulate their thoughts and for others to interpret them in their own way. But most importantly, it compels you to think deeply about the purpose behind the words, the significance of a particular tense, the symbolism of objects and the impact of sentence structure. 

In the end, poetry is not just a collection of lines; it is a mirror reflecting our deepest selves, our struggles and our joys. It challenges us to step outside our own experiences and connect with the world. 

As I left that class, I carried with me an appreciation for the power of words — words can ignite a passion, provoke a thought or evoke a feeling. In this fast-paced world, taking the time to engage with poetry might just be the key to rediscovering the beauty of living for the sake of living — one line at a time.

• #passion
• #poetry