Read Poetry to Analyse Meaning: 'The Song of the Old Mother'

First of all, let's read the following poem by William Yeats.

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The Song Of The Old Mother

I rise in the dawn, and I kneel and blow
Till the seed of the fire flicker and glow;
And then I must scrub and bake and sweep
Till stars are beginning to blink and peep;
And the young lie long and dream in their bed
Of the matching of ribbons for bosom and head,
And their day goes over in idleness,
And they sigh if the wind but lift a tress:
While I must work because I am old,
And the seed of the fire gets feeble and cold.

– William Butler Yeats

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Now. let's take a look at the questions.

If you want to look back at this poem at any point during the activity, just click on the red help button on the side of the screen.

Want a bit more help with this before you begin? Why not watch this short video?