Question
Read this stanza from “The Song of Wandering Aengus” by William Butler Yeats.
When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire a-flame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And someone called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.
How do these lines reveal details about the speaker of the poem?
Responses
They confirm his stable state of mind.
They confirm his stable state of mind.
They show that he is frightened by the natural world.
They show that he is frightened by the natural world.
They show that he longs to connect with someone.
They show that he longs to connect with someone.
They suggest his despair over being alone in the world.
When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire a-flame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And someone called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.
How do these lines reveal details about the speaker of the poem?
Responses
They confirm his stable state of mind.
They confirm his stable state of mind.
They show that he is frightened by the natural world.
They show that he is frightened by the natural world.
They show that he longs to connect with someone.
They show that he longs to connect with someone.
They suggest his despair over being alone in the world.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The lines reveal details about the speaker of the poem in that **they show that he longs to connect with someone**. The transformation of the object on the floor into a "glimmering girl" who calls him by name suggests a deep yearning for connection and an encounter with something enchanting and significant. This longing is emphasized by the way the girl fades away, highlighting a transient moment of beauty and the speaker's desire for connection that ultimately feels elusive.