Poem analysis

Brown Penny by William Butler Yeats

I whispered, 'I am too young,'
And then, 'I am old enough';
Wherefore I threw a penny
To find out if I might love.
'Go and love, go and love, young man,
If the lady be young and fair.'
Ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny,
I am looped in the loops of her hair.

O love is the crooked thing,
There is nobody wise enough
To find out all that is in it,
For he would be thinking of love
Till the stars had run away
And the shadows eaten the moon.
Ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny,
One cannot begin it too soon.

1. How are the figurative language used in the poem?
Give the specific word(s), explain what type of figurative language it is and why the poet chose to use this figurative language?

"Ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny" makes use of hyperbole. the word brown penny is emphasised through the repetition for this word to bring the attention to how the brown penny relates to the main point. the brown penny is also used to symbolise a lucky penny to help him decide if he could love someone.

"Till the stars had run away And the shadows eaten the moon."makes use of personification to gives the objects,stars,moons and shadows,a human element as stars do not run and shadows are not able to eat and moons cannot be eaten.


2. Tell us why you like this poem in no less than 100 words.

i like this poem by William Butler Yeats as he makes use of superstition about luck and everyday objects such as pennies or coins to compose a poem about something more complex than either of the objects. this also shows how unrealistic the theme of love is through the use of personification on mystical objects to give the entire poem an unreal and fantastical,mysterious feeling to enhance the meaning that can be brought out from the poem and the use of love being substituted in a decision made from the flicking of a penny believed to bring luck to its owner.