‘The Man and the Echo’ was written in 1938, which was just before Yeats’ death. The poem is made up of rhyming couplets to highlight the irony of how different both ‘The Man’ and ‘The Echo’ are. Throughout this poem Yeats is speaking with a dialogue of his own echo in a mystical place, he is also asking many questions on both life and death. The echo seems to suggest that he gives up, however Yeats disregards negativity in a passionate life of the mind.
The poem is very atmospheric due to the setting. In Yeats’ imagination, he visits “Alt”, a mystical place in Sligo, Ireland. Alt, is a secret place that is never touched by light. However, the poet is seemingly completely alone with his thoughts (hence the echo which is normally brought about when alone) quite cut off from the world. He is experiencing a final reckoning with his soul. Bitter intensity and a simple rhyme conjures an extreme powerful atmosphere.
Yeats uses the symbol of the echo to take his words out of context, to change their meaning and represent the lack of control one has over their words once they have been spoken. Yeats (who is the man) argues against the echo mirroring his frustration at the misinterpretation and manipulation of his works/poems by others – this links to ‘The Fisherman’ where the great art is beaten down. Also, the difference between both Yeats and the echo highlights the conflict of thoughts he has within himself in the later stages of his life. Lastly, the echo is also a symbol of a gyre and rebirth as it is ultimately a sound created from the previous sound.
The start of the poem describes the “Man”, Yeats, travelling to a very quiet, damp and cold place “broad noon had never lit”. As the poem can come across as haunting, he is haunted by a sense of uncertainty of life, his past and the future as he can initially “never get the answers right”. This also shows self doubt, which is a main theme throughout this poem. Also, the phrase “all that I have said and done” suggests making a confession which could be linked to the fact that Yeats wrote this poem just before he passed, so this could suggest that he is making a confession as he is aware his time left is short. He is noted to “lie awake night after night” up to the point where everything “seems evil until I/ Sleepless would lie down and die.” Which to define it would be either that he feels his death is the only thing that would actually set him free from either the regret and sin in the world or, that his death would end the evil coming of his writing as he is unsure his writing is influencing. The reader is however, unsure whether this is due to insomnia or guilt, our uncertainty mirrors Yeats’ uncertainty here.
Next “certain men the English shot” is referring to the leaders of the Easter Rising; Yeats confused whether or not he made them fight through the words of his play. Also the phrase “that woman’s reeling brain” refers to an actress by the name of Margot Ruddock; Yeats had an affair with her – perhaps this is why ‘the man’ or Yeats is both making a confession before his death and is having trouble sleeping at night. Yeats yet again questions his influence through his poetry, play and politics and whether they have enabled him to stop the destruction of memories like Coole Park “Could my spoken words have checked/ That whereby a house lay wrecked?”.
Next, Yeats always disapproved of the use of alcohol or any pain-relief to rid of the pains of life, “drug him to sleep”. This phrase is a reference to man in general as it was Yeats who believed man must bear the toils of life. He also believed that for one to end their life by suicide it is cowardly and will thus give that person no release – this is a complete contrast with An Irish Airman Foresees his Death where the Irishman is seeing his life as “wasted breath”.
Penultimately, Yeats questions his echo with, “Shall we in this great night rejoice?” This could be questioning God’s existence and also the supernatural. He mentions that he has lost the theme of the subject matter and concludes by stating that everybody should live in the moment by talking about the “hawk” or even the “owl” that is attacking a “stricken rabbit”, which highlights the dramatic message of living life to the fullest. He lastly states that the rabbits “cry distracts [his] thought”.
Many of Yeats’ poems have two voices or two point of views for example ‘Easter 1916’ and ‘September 1913’ due to these poems highlighting both the view of the old revolutionaries who are “dead and gone” and also those who are in modern Ireland who are not supporting Ireland.
The Room of Requirement. 