The Song of Wandering Aengus

In “The Song of Wandering Aengus,” the poet uses the phrase a fire was in my head in line 2 to suggest that the narrator —

• was excited to go fishing in the stream

• had planned to catch dinner and cook it

• had many ideas burning in his brain

• was searching for a fire in the woods

In “The Song of Wandering Aengus,” the poet uses a metaphor in the first stanza to describe —

• the trees in the woods

• the berries on the thread

• the fish in the stream

• the stars in the sky

In “The Song of Wandering Aengus,” what do the details in stanza 2 suggest has happened?

• The fish had turned into a beautiful girl.

• The fire had gotten out of control.

• The fish had escaped and gotten away.

• The narrator was remembering a lost love.

Read lines 21–24 in “The Song of Wandering Aengus.” What does the figurative language in these sentences reveal about the narrator?

• The narrator is hungry and searching for food.

• The narrator is tired of traveling day and night.

• The narrator is clever and will use any light to aid his search.

• The narrator is hopeful that his search will end positively.

What is the central idea of the poem?

• The speaker wants to find berries to use for bait.

• A girl calls the speaker's name and runs from him.

• The speaker wants to stay young, but gets old.

• A fish becomes a girl and the speaker searches for her endlessly.

Who is the narrator of the poem?

• Aengus

• the glimmering girl

• the trout

• William Butler Yeats

In both poems, the main characters are searching for something. How is what they are searching for similar?

Poets use rhymes in poems . . .

• to create a musical quality

• to emphasize sounds that suggest feelings (surprise/sadness)

• to create rhythms that help convey sensory feelings

Find an example of simile in the first stanza.

• A fire was in my head...

• ...white moths were on the wing...

• moth-like stars were flickering out...

• And caught a little silver trout...

What is the THEME of "The Song of Wandering Aengus"?

• Be careful when you try new experiences.

• Some things are worth searching for.

• Love is more important than wealth.

• Wandering is only for the young.