1. The Man and The Echo By William Butler Yeats

2. Read these extracts from the Poem ….All that I have said and done Now that I am old and ill ….until I would lie down and die. Echo: Lie down and die. What is an Echo? Write down a definition

3. How do we use the term Echo metaphorically? E.G. That painting has echoes of Picasso. These spending cuts have echoes of the 1980s This idea is echoed later on in the poem.

4. Look back at the extracts… ….until I would lie down and die. Echo: Lie down and die. How can the echo be said to have changed the meaning of the phrase repeated? Merely repeating a phrase, given even a small change of context, can really affect its meaning.

5. How can our words be misinterpreted? Look at these words from a Head Teacher new to a school, speaking to her staff: Now look at how one teacher interpreted them: I am delighted to be here to work with you all in a school which clearly has a huge potential to be outstanding. I intend to make sure that all our pupils are provided with the best opportunities possible so that they may leave us as successful and happy individuals. We have some fine teachers in this school and I wish to make sure that all your skills are used to maximum effect I am delighted to be here to work with you all in a school which is clearly under-achieving. I intend to make sure that we actually have some success stories amongst our pupils. We have some fine teachers in this school and some not so fine teachers. I wish to make sure that you all work a lot harder.

6. Read the Poem and try to work out the main ideas… Some notes to help you: The word Alt is a rocky fissure at Knocknarea, County Sligo that play refers to Cathleen ni Houlihan (1902), a one act play by Yeats in which a woman, personifying Ireland, incites a young bridegroom to armed rebellion and death. The phrase certain men the English shot refers to the leaders of the Easter Rising; Yeats is wondering if he incited them to rebellion through the words of his play. that womans reeling brain refers to the actress, poet and singers Margot Ruddock; Yeats had an affair with her and also edited her poems for publication.