Rate My Answer Thread

Shanotheslayer

My Longley essay, just completed it. I orginally got a B2/B1, but I changed some bits around. Used the poetry book for help this time, to learn off the quotes



Michael Longley was born in Belfast in 1939. His parents had come from London to live in Northern Ireland in 1927.
In the 1970s the violence in Northern Ireland escalated. Atrocities were committed on both sides of the political
divide by Nationalists and Unionists and by members of both Catholic and Protestant churches. Michael Longleys
main themes consist of his father- son relationship, he makes us question our beliefs and why do we believe in
what believe in, violence and the nature of it breeds moer violence,Longley makes us consider hidden brutality in Irish life and society.


One of Longley's recurring themes is th hidden nature of violence and brutality in Irish society. While there was a lot of
obvious violence during '' The Troubles' there was also a lot of vilence, or threat of it, '' behind the scences' or in peoples
homes. A example of this can be seen in the poem ''Self Heal'' when the menatally ill boy misinterprets the friendliness
of the female teacher by touching her on the thigh.
''Gently he slipped his hand between my thighs''
Upon hearing this the boys father beats him savagely
''He was flagged with a blackthorn then tethered''
Although there is a lot of brutality shown through the beating of the boy with a blackthorn, but also the fact that the
father does not try to understand why the boy touched the teachers thigh. This is a symbol of Longley's message,
to opposing sides in conflict that don't talk to each other or try to communicate . Longley is asking us to consider how we use
violence as a disciplinary tool to keep families and society in order.

This theme can also be seen in the poem ''Wounds''In this poem Longely is describing two images from his fathers head which
were Longley kept secret until now. In the first image Longley is describing the Ulster Division at the Somme. In this image
the protestants are fighting the Germans, but while they are fighting the Germans they are shouting anti-catholic phrases to rile
them up for this battle.
'' **** the pope''
''Wilder than Gurkhas' ''
Gurkhas were one of the worlds best elite fighting forces. The true determination of these soldiers is shown when a boy about to
die has the courage to say
''No surrender''
The second image Longley got from his father is that ''a shivering boy'' went into a family household and shot a bus conductor
The boy gives no reason as to why he shot the bus conductor as he ''collapsed besides his carpet slippers''. The boy only says
''Sorry Missus'' contrastingly showing signs of remorse , this suggests he was forced to kill the bus conductor.

A further example of violence can be seen in the poem ''Ceasefire''. In this poem Hector died by the hand of Achilles.
Contrastingly tin this poem violence doesn't breed more violence. In order to stop the violence Priam had to
''Kiss Achilles hand, the killer of my son''
As a sign of respect Achilles clean up Hector's corpse
''for the old king's sake''


Another theme that reoccurs in Longley's poetry is: death related to his father and his father son relationship. This can be seen
in the poem ''Wounds''. In this poem Longley us describing how his father was shot in the war, andhow the lead poisioning
from the bullet wounds he receieved eventually caught up with his life 50 years later
'' I am dying for King and Country, slowly''
Longley's father believed he was dying for his country 50 years after the war was over due to the sharpnel stuck in his body from
the war

This theme reoccurs in the poem ''Wreaths'' Thoughout this poem Longley describes scenes of death which remind him of his fathers
''A bullet entered his mouth and pierced his skull''
Longley's language is so blunt, this suggests that this shooting is ordinary, no different from everyday life
''When they massacred the ten linen workers''
We know these deaths make Longley reminisce of his fathers death because he says
''Before I can bury my father once again''

In the poem ''Last Requests'' we learn how distant Longley and his father were. Longley's father was on his death bed when Longley
came to visit
''I thought you blew a kiss before you died but those bony fingers that waved to and fro were asking for a woodbine''
This shows how distant they were. Longley misinterputates the signal by his father.
''I who only brought peppermints and grapes could not reach you through the oxygen tent''

From reading Longleys poetry I think that its great. I personally like how blunt he is in relation to his distance with his father. He does not
try to romanticise his relationship with his father. He simplies states what it is, which is distant.

irish_man

Shanotheslayer wrote: »

He expresses his frustration by using the colloquial word ''blooming''.

just a small point.
maybe explain the two meanings to the word blooming
how he might mean it in a negative way or a positive way

SirDelboy18

I am not trying to be condesending in any way but Shano could really do with making the piece more coherent. I found both essays to be quite blunt at points and that is why you are not scoring higher. Some of the language is out of place and that means more marks are being dropped than you would like. It has the bones of a solid piece of writing but without improvement the highest I would give that is a B2( For the 1st essay ).

Also don't want to sound like I'm criticising for the sake of it, without offering positive points of change, so I will add some insight later when I get back home

I found the Longley essay poorer than the first and would only give that a B3

Shanotheslayer

SirDelboy18 wrote: »

I am not trying to be condesending in any way but Shano could really do with making the piece more coherent. I found both essays to be quite blunt at points and that is why you are not scoring higher. Some of the language is out of place and that means more marks are being dropped than you would like. It has the bones of a solid piece of writing but without improvement the highest I would give that is a B2( For the 1st essay ).

Also don't want to sound like I'm criticising for the sake of it, without offering positive points of change, so I will add some insight later when I get back home

I found the Longley essay poorer than the first and would only give that a B3

It's no problem. I'll take all the help I can get. I wont be 'hurt' by constructive criticism, I appreicate all the help I can get mate.

Thank you.

_Chaos

thanks for posting all these answers, really do need to brush up on my poets, think this is really the best way!

fufureida

You know the way you guys make tge introduction relate to the poet and sorta give a backfround history with complicated ish language? I find that that can be hard to learn of... So if anyone feels the same learn 3 or 4 key themes like and mention them with tge usual ' influential poet...'' fresh naturalistic imagery ...' all that lark. I keep it simple and normally get As in my essays. This thread is very helpful. nabbed some ideas to tweak my essays myself!

I always list the poems too.

randylonghorn

fufureida wrote: »

I find that that can be hard to learn of... So if anyone feels the same learn 3 or 4 key themes like ....

Actually, I wouldn't advise learning off essays tbh. Too much temptation to regurgitate them with a tweak here and there in the exam, and not really answer the question.

I would actually agree with fufureida on this one ... understand your texts, learn your key points and plenty of quotes, maybe a few nice sentences / phrases, and then go into the exam and *use* them to answer the *actual* question asked!

More marks in subjects like English and History are lost by people not answering the actual question than for any other reason.

fufureida

Yeah I don't learn off paragraphs but I do key words a habit from Geography...

3 quotes per paragraph... And tbh alot of is common sense bull****ting your way through abd if you love literature and Reading no reason why you shouldn't score high in everything.

But please guys some of these essays go too into detail keep it simple and freshly opinionated.


Keep it simple fresh and <modedit> avoid gangsta slang at all costs!! </modedit>

* hides from randy's stick of banning *

randylonghorn

fufureida wrote: »

* hides from randy's stick of banning *

You really think there is anywhere you can hide?! :cool:

fufureida

Lol

XXRachelXX

Could someone please post up a Personal Repsonse to Kavanagh essay, I'm trying to write one now myself but I'm getting stuck as we haven't done him in aages ! Thanks in advance

goldenlady131

fufureida wrote: »

Yeah I don't learn off paragraphs but I do key words a habit from Geography...

3 quotes per paragraph... And tbh alot of is common sense bull****ting your way through abd if you love literature and Reading no reason why you shouldn't score high in everything.
*

It's actually hard though to answer the question and sustain in throughout because sometimes it's like.. well hard to avoid repeating points and keep the answer relevant to the question.

fufureida

goldenlady131 wrote: »

It's actually hard though to answer the question and sustain in throughout because sometimes it's like.. well hard to avoid repeating points and keep the answer relevant to the question.

No its not, all you have to do is plan it...write up a few words that will make up each paragraph and make sure these words relate to the question. Think back to spider diagrams in first year.

Could someone please post up a Personal Repsonse to Kavanagh essay, I'm trying to write one now myself but I'm getting stuck as we haven't done him in aages ! Thanks in advance

Look through this thread...it might help as I think their is one in this.

Shanotheslayer

XXRachelXX wrote: »

Could someone please post up a Personal Repsonse to Kavanagh essay, I'm trying to write one now myself but I'm getting stuck as we haven't done him in aages ! Thanks in advance

Page 4 I have a essay on him, not really a Personal Response tho.

fauxshow

Write a personal response to the poetry of Eavan Boland
*
The appeal of Boland's poetry for me lies in her exploration of domestic order and how it is threatened by violence and disruption. She explores the natural powers that we subconsciously know are lurking beneath the civilised surface: for example, in ''The Pomegranate,'' time disrupts the peace of suburbia as* her daughter will one day grow up. I enjoyed reading Boland's poetry, because* I can identify with her portrayal of ordinary females; she writes of personal experiences and recreates the past when she muses on her mother's. I found her use of mythology and even objects (like in ''The Black Lace Fan My Mother Gave Me'') a refreshing way of expressing the complexity of relationships.
*
''This Moment'' is a short lyric that captures a particular moment in time. I enjoy Boland's poetry as she writes in an evocative 'painterly' language, using original similes such as ''one window is yellow as butter'' to capture the mood of a Dublin suburb at dusk. The striking imagery celebrates the ordinary, as she builds suspense, creating a sense of urgency with short sentences: 'A neighbourhood. /At dusk. /Things are getting ready/to happen/out of sight.'' This celebration of ordinary, suburban lifestyles is continued in the poem ''The War Horse,'' recounting a real incident with a stray horse,* from ''the tinker camp on the Enniskerry road.'' Boland paints an interesting visual as the alliteration and onomatopoeia of ''clip clop casual'' echoes the rhythmic sounds of the horse's hooves. Throughout the poem we get a list of cultivated flowers – climbing roses, crocuses, a laurel hedge, echoing a desire for order implied by the suburban attitudes.
*
However, this poem has a much more symbolic meaning than at first suggested, and ''The War Horse'' also represents violence and political conflict, at a time when ''the sounds of death from the television were heard almost daily.'' When I read the poem a second time, I realised that the horse's progress down the road is described in terms of war, its destruction cleverly described in a simile: ''as he stamps death like a mint/ on the innocent coinage of earth.'' The flowers are now at variance with the irrational destructiveness of the war horse, ''Like corpses, remote, crushed, mutilated?'' I felt the reference to curious neighbours using ''the subterfuge/ Of curtains'' and the line ''No great harm is done'' implied attitudes of indifference and selfishness. For us in the south, violence in Northern Ireland is only of ''distant interest.''
*
Metaphors of violence are further demonstrated in ''Child of Our Time,'' detailing ''that greatest of obscenities, the murder of the innocent.'' The painterly language of a child's lullaby for me added a poignant dimension to ''This song, which takes from your final cry/ Its tune.'' I enjoyed the juxtaposition, the word 'rhythm' with 'discord,' the 'reason' of the poem being the baby's 'unreasoned end.' What sort of 'times' do we live in, if an infant can be arbitrarily killed? We are not allowed forget the horrific consequences of such violence; a lesson must be learned from the tragedy. The statement that adults should be teachers of the young – ''We who should have known how to instruct...'' is clear and unambiguous. What interested me most is Boland’s paradox - it is we who now must learn from the child: 'And living, learn, must learn from you, dead.' I felt her implication was that the child's death, his 'final sleep,' might wake up the world to this horrendous state of affairs.
*
Boland's use of history as a theme in poetry also appealed to me, images of the tattered flowers in ''The War Horse'' disturbing the speaker because of its associations with a more primitive experience of violence, hidden in our ancestral memory – ''A cause ruined before, a world betrayed.'' This idea of recreating the past is continued on a smaller scale in the poem ''The Black Lace Fan My Mother Gave Me,'' as she paints a vignette of her parents in Paris as a young courting couple, adding realism with humorous anecdotes such as ''She was always early./He was late.'' I enjoyed the light-hearted nature of the first half of this poem; however, the sixth stanza interested me in its acceptance that you cannot really recreate history: ''The past is an empty cafe terrace,'' admitting limitations to this imaginative exercise.
*
In 'The Pomegranate,' Boland draws on mythology as a framework to illumine her personal experiences, inspired by Ceres and Persephone. For me, it justified the idea of ordinary modern women living in the suburbs as a theme in poetry – ''And the best thing about the legend is/ I can enter it anywhere.'' However, I mainly enjoyed this poem because of its underlying psychological truth, suggesting the vulnerability of all human relationships. Time will change things, the seasons highlighting that ''winter was in store for every leaf.'' Her daughter is entering a new phase - ''she reached/ out a hand and plucked a pomegranate,'' a metaphor for entry into the adult world; I feel that the poem suggests that it is a mother's role to release her daughter - ''I will say nothing.''
*
I also noticed how metaphors reveal the complexities of relationships in ''The Black Lace Fan My Mother Gave Me,'' as Boland celebrates events from her parent's past. Like ''The Pomegranate,''* weather is used to symbolise the relationship, forming a backdrop to its progress – ''The heat was killing.'' The fan symbolises their relationship, a 'worn-out, underwater bullion...'' This suggests that time has taken its toll, but ''bullion'' has associations of treasure and ''underwater'' suggests an element of mystery. I felt this means that every relationship has its up and downs, but ultimately stands the test of time and remains something precious, such is the mystery of love. It is this universal truth that appealed to me; the fan both celebrates her parent's relationship and recognises its vulnerability.
*
To quote Boland herself, she is a poet of ''time, perception of loss, down-to-earth disappointments or irretrievable segments of human experience.'' As a poet, she covers a wide range of ideas rooted in the past and present, exploring everyday domestic life whilst branching out to themes that affect the public, such as sectarian violence; however, what appeals to me most about her poetry is the fact that she never preaches, simply offering a snapshot of society. Her personal experience is often reflected in her poetry, enriching her poetry as she is unafraid to discuss the horrors of history honestly, but always with compassion.

fufureida

That's a great essay. However perhaps killing yourself for a 50 mark question. It's also quite long.

It's drenched in quotes... Welldone if you know them all.

Overall definately A1 material... But a simpler approach would also earn you an A1.

I personally talk poem by poem. Easier to remember tge frame work of my essays.

leesmom

LivingDeadGirl wrote: »

Can we have a rate my answer thread? I was inspired by the comparative essay one someone posted. I think it'd be a good way to revise your answers by typing them out and also a great way to get feedback from other people! Seriously any advice would be appreciated.

I'll start, this is my personal response to John Keats' poetry.




I enjoyed the poetry of John Keats because of his universal themes, vivid imagery and detailed descriptions. I also found his personal and intimate style of writing, interesting choice of words and use of contrast very appealing.

Keats explores a wide range of themes throughout his poetry, many of which are universal and easy to relate to, for example the theme of life and death. I'n 'When I Have Fears that I May Cease to Be' Keats uses a euphemism for death in the title to express his horror at the concept of mortality. He laments what death will prevent him from experiencing:'the night's starr'd face' and 'huge cloudy symbols.' He is saddened at the thought of losing his inspirations and dying before 'my pen has glean'd my teeming brain.' I think his fears of death and not fulfilling his dreams before the end of his life are understandable and common to all people. This drew my interest effectively. In 'Bright Star' Keats expresses his wish to be immortal and unchanging like the star he sees in the night sky. This poem is one of my favourites because like many of us Keats doesn't want to change with time or face the inevitable end to his life. He envies this distant star 'Would I were as steadfast as thou art.' His awareness of death led him to explore things that don't age or die such as the immortalising power of art, literature and the imagination.

In 'Ode to a Nightingale,' Keats seems to have become lost in his imagination, believing himself to be part of an unrealistic, perfect and immortal world, 'Already with thee tender is the night.' Keats looks for a means of escape though the medium of alcohol 'O, for a draught of vintage!' which I think would be a common reaction to the idea of facing your own demise. Keats' realism and honesty highlights the theme of death and immortality making it all the more effective to the reader. This is an aspect of his poetry which I found very appealing.

Another reason why I liked the poetry of Keats is due to his use of vivd imagery and memorable descriptions. Keats uses his painter's eye to acutely idenitfy and describe his images. Through this technique, he presents us with often unrealistic but still detailed and accurate images. This means that although his poetry may stretch into the fantastical at times, it is still believable and realistic through the intensity of detail. This kept me interested is his poetry.

It can be seen in 'Ode on a Grecian Urn' Here Keats describes the image of the inanimate urn, an immortal artefact holding what was once a mortal being. This contrast appeals to me and draws me into his poetry. He compares the eternal existence of this non-living urn to the image of the warm, passionate yet brief human life. He represents it 'For ever panting and for ever young' and with 'A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.' For me this description captured the excitement and emotional experience of youth perfectly, making it one of my favourite images created by Keats.

In 'Ode to a Nightingale' the image of sparkling wine is produced in perfect deatil. This image is obviously a realistic one, but this acute description gives it the same level of allure as his more supernatural images. 'Beaded bubbles winking at the brim' and 'purple-stained mouth' in the 'beaker full of the warm South.' This is a clear allusion to the fountain of Hippocrene, which I found effective. Elsewhere in 'When I Have Fears...' the night sky is referred to rather as 'the night's starr'd face' with 'huge cloudy symbols of a high romance.' While verging on the unrealistic, the detail and beauty of the image makes it seem more realistic and makes it memorable. This helped meto engage with the creativity of Keats' imagination.

Along with his vivd imagery, John Keats' poetry is enjoyable because of his use of contrasts. They litter his poetry, something I didn't find in the poetry of the other poets on the course. This made an interesting change. I liked the contrast apparent in 'Bright Star,' in which keats proceeds to contrats the coldness of the star and it's immortality with the warmth of human love, however transient. The opening octet of the poem is the complete polar opposite of the ending sestet. The octet is longer, slower and passionless in its description of the star's eternal existence, continual vowel sounds depicting it's interminable coldness. The sestet expresses a warmth, a pulse through it's lively rhythm and whisperingly soft 's' sounds. This perfectly describes the emotional experience of human life and is the octet's definitive opposite. I loved the contrast in this poem and it inspired me to continue my reading of Keats' poetry.

Keats alsos uses contrast in 'Od on a Grecian Urn' when he addresses the subject of the poem. He comments on the inanimate qualities of the urn(to contrast with the vibrancy of life) by remarking on its having no senses, so the pipes cannt play to 'the sensual ear.' However elsewhere in the poem he does the opposite, by personifying the urn through the use of the personal prooun 'thou,' such as remarking 'Thou still unrvished bride of quietness.'

I thoroughly enjoyed the poetry of John Keats due to his use of contrast, detailed, descriptive imagery and universal themes as well as his personal, confessional style. These techniques combined to further my appreciation of his poetry and increase its personal appeal for me as a reader.



My teacher gave this 76%(she's a very hard marker btw), any ideas on how I can improve it?



Everyone add their comments and their own answers too!

this is identical to the essay denis craeven gave his students last year

cailin_donn

I don't know if many people are doing Eliot, but I did the Pre Question about his themes and that, and i got 48/50 if anyone wants it?

fauxshow

fufureida wrote: »

That's a great essay. However perhaps killing yourself for a 50 mark question. It's also quite long.

It's drenched in quotes... Welldone if you know them all.

Overall definately A1 material... But a simpler approach would also earn you an A1.

I personally talk poem by poem. Easier to remember tge frame work of my essays.

I used to write poem by poem and quote less, but I was told that poem-by-poem was too simplistic and that quoting can make or break a grade so I've been trying out different styles to improve my essays

fufureida

fauxshow wrote: »

I used to write poem by poem and quote less, but I was told that poem-by-poem was too simplistic and that quoting can make or break a grade so I've been trying out different styles to improve my essays

3 quotes per poem is enough when you relate to it with 8 or 9 sentences making up your paragraph. Poem by poem may be simplistic but you won't be docked marks for coherence of delivery. It also allows you to move on from a poem and focus on the next... Your essay demands a constantthought process for each poem throughout and doesn't allow you to 'discard' a poem as you write. I personally think it would be near impossible to structure an essay like tge one you posted inside the exam.

I don't believe poem by poem would lose you marks so long as you made an intelligent analysis of each with 3 or 4 quotes and added a personal response with each also. Every question deals with a personal response and I think you are thinking too deeply into the poems.

Although your essay is very good I dont think it's a sensible method. I wrote poem by poem and recieved full marks. It's easier and handy to remember.

Lawliet

I always found it easier to write poetry essays with paragraphs discussing the poems under similar themes or techniques etc. as I find writing poem by poem too frustrating. Of course it depends on the question; but really there is no right or wrong way to format the answer so just stick to formatting the answer in the way that flows best for you yourself.

XXRachelXX

fauxshow wrote: »

Write a personal response to the poetry of Eavan Boland
*
The appeal of Boland's poetry for me lies in her exploration of domestic order and how it is threatened by violence and disruption. She explores the natural powers that we subconsciously know are lurking beneath the civilised surface: for example, in ''The Pomegranate,'' time disrupts the peace of suburbia as* her daughter will one day grow up. I enjoyed reading Boland's poetry, because* I can identify with her portrayal of ordinary females; she writes of personal experiences and recreates the past when she muses on her mother's. I found her use of mythology and even objects (like in ''The Black Lace Fan My Mother Gave Me'') a refreshing way of expressing the complexity of relationships.
*
''This Moment'' is a short lyric that captures a particular moment in time. I enjoy Boland's poetry as she writes in an evocative 'painterly' language, using original similes such as ''one window is yellow as butter'' to capture the mood of a Dublin suburb at dusk. The striking imagery celebrates the ordinary, as she builds suspense, creating a sense of urgency with short sentences: 'A neighbourhood. /At dusk. /Things are getting ready/to happen/out of sight.'' This celebration of ordinary, suburban lifestyles is continued in the poem ''The War Horse,'' recounting a real incident with a stray horse,* from ''the tinker camp on the Enniskerry road.'' Boland paints an interesting visual as the alliteration and onomatopoeia of ''clip clop casual'' echoes the rhythmic sounds of the horse's hooves. Throughout the poem we get a list of cultivated flowers – climbing roses, crocuses, a laurel hedge, echoing a desire for order implied by the suburban attitudes.
*
However, this poem has a much more symbolic meaning than at first suggested, and ''The War Horse'' also represents violence and political conflict, at a time when ''the sounds of death from the television were heard almost daily.'' When I read the poem a second time, I realised that the horse's progress down the road is described in terms of war, its destruction cleverly described in a simile: ''as he stamps death like a mint/ on the innocent coinage of earth.'' The flowers are now at variance with the irrational destructiveness of the war horse, ''Like corpses, remote, crushed, mutilated?'' I felt the reference to curious neighbours using ''the subterfuge/ Of curtains'' and the line ''No great harm is done'' implied attitudes of indifference and selfishness. For us in the south, violence in Northern Ireland is only of ''distant interest.''
*
Metaphors of violence are further demonstrated in ''Child of Our Time,'' detailing ''that greatest of obscenities, the murder of the innocent.'' The painterly language of a child's lullaby for me added a poignant dimension to ''This song, which takes from your final cry/ Its tune.'' I enjoyed the juxtaposition, the word 'rhythm' with 'discord,' the 'reason' of the poem being the baby's 'unreasoned end.' What sort of 'times' do we live in, if an infant can be arbitrarily killed? We are not allowed forget the horrific consequences of such violence; a lesson must be learned from the tragedy. The statement that adults should be teachers of the young – ''We who should have known how to instruct...'' is clear and unambiguous. What interested me most is Boland’s paradox - it is we who now must learn from the child: 'And living, learn, must learn from you, dead.' I felt her implication was that the child's death, his 'final sleep,' might wake up the world to this horrendous state of affairs.
*
Boland's use of history as a theme in poetry also appealed to me, images of the tattered flowers in ''The War Horse'' disturbing the speaker because of its associations with a more primitive experience of violence, hidden in our ancestral memory – ''A cause ruined before, a world betrayed.'' This idea of recreating the past is continued on a smaller scale in the poem ''The Black Lace Fan My Mother Gave Me,'' as she paints a vignette of her parents in Paris as a young courting couple, adding realism with humorous anecdotes such as ''She was always early./He was late.'' I enjoyed the light-hearted nature of the first half of this poem; however, the sixth stanza interested me in its acceptance that you cannot really recreate history: ''The past is an empty cafe terrace,'' admitting limitations to this imaginative exercise.
*
In 'The Pomegranate,' Boland draws on mythology as a framework to illumine her personal experiences, inspired by Ceres and Persephone. For me, it justified the idea of ordinary modern women living in the suburbs as a theme in poetry – ''And the best thing about the legend is/ I can enter it anywhere.'' However, I mainly enjoyed this poem because of its underlying psychological truth, suggesting the vulnerability of all human relationships. Time will change things, the seasons highlighting that ''winter was in store for every leaf.'' Her daughter is entering a new phase - ''she reached/ out a hand and plucked a pomegranate,'' a metaphor for entry into the adult world; I feel that the poem suggests that it is a mother's role to release her daughter - ''I will say nothing.''
*
I also noticed how metaphors reveal the complexities of relationships in ''The Black Lace Fan My Mother Gave Me,'' as Boland celebrates events from her parent's past. Like ''The Pomegranate,''* weather is used to symbolise the relationship, forming a backdrop to its progress – ''The heat was killing.'' The fan symbolises their relationship, a 'worn-out, underwater bullion...'' This suggests that time has taken its toll, but ''bullion'' has associations of treasure and ''underwater'' suggests an element of mystery. I felt this means that every relationship has its up and downs, but ultimately stands the test of time and remains something precious, such is the mystery of love. It is this universal truth that appealed to me; the fan both celebrates her parent's relationship and recognises its vulnerability.
*
To quote Boland herself, she is a poet of ''time, perception of loss, down-to-earth disappointments or irretrievable segments of human experience.'' As a poet, she covers a wide range of ideas rooted in the past and present, exploring everyday domestic life whilst branching out to themes that affect the public, such as sectarian violence; however, what appeals to me most about her poetry is the fact that she never preaches, simply offering a snapshot of society. Her personal experience is often reflected in her poetry, enriching her poetry as she is unafraid to discuss the horrors of history honestly, but always with compassion.

Really good answer !

Eire-Dearg

I was going to ask if anyone had a Literary Genre or Vision and Viewpoint answer of A standard, forgetting we all did different texts! D'oh!

XXRachelXX

Eire-Dearg wrote: »

I was going to ask if anyone had a Literary Genre or Vision and Viewpoint answer of A standard, forgetting we all did different texts! D'oh!

Still it wouldn't do any harm just to see how those answers should be layed out properly, we didn't spend a lot of time on them in class

thenakedanddead

Jesus, I need to improve.

I found Eavan Boland’s poetry to be original. Although female readers will especially appreciate her poems on the place on women in society, her work has broad appeal. She uses personal experience to reflect on an important issue. I admire her compassion towards violence. Her use of everyday language helps us to identify with the issues Boland writes about.

One of Boland’s main assets is her strong love for Irish history. This is evident in poems like The Famine Road, during which she studied the Famine and colonial injustice. Famine Road deals with nonchalance on the part of the English towards the Irish. They suggest the Irish are able to take care of themselves. In response to the famine, the English government erected work schemes. I enjoy the sense of sentimentality Boland has in this poem and I like the way she cares about the Irish people of the great famine era.

In other poems, Boland contemplates the troubles in Northern Ireland. “Child of our time” is a poem concerned with the death of a child following the Dublin bomb explosion. The tragedy stemmed from the troubles in Northern Ireland. The final stanza holds out the belief that we will learn from the child’s death and explores the connection between her passing and our inability to communicate with each other. In blames the people for causing such a conflict and accuses them of being, in-some-way, responsible for the Childs death. Here, Boland employs a technique which makes us think about our attitude towards things. In a sense, the child can be viewed to represent all the victims of the troubles.
"Wild Hawthorn in the west of Ireland" * focuses on the troubles in Northern Ireland during a stage where it looked likely to pass to the republic. When the threat goes there is a sense of relief: "But we, we are safe". The destruction done by the horse can be seen as a reflection of what was going on in Northern Ireland-the horse representing something that appeared to look dangerous but left behind no great damage. Boland forgets about the horse. This reflects the apathy found in the republic at this time. Just as Boland figured that the horse seemed like a threat but left with nothing, the people, in the south, once over the anxiety of the difficulties crossing, went back to their normal life's, without confronting the conflict in the north.

Boland’s poems often have simple overtones. One – “Wild hawthorn in the west of Ireland”-deals with the contrast between city life and rural life. Boland, who has grown up in Dublin, has come to view the city as superficial: “I left behind suburban gardens, small talk”. The tones of these lines draw the reader into the nature of life in the city, which is defined, in this poem, as a superficial, boring place. The feeling denotes a restricted world.
As a result of the difficulties Boland finds in the suburban world she decides to drive “west in the season between seasons”. She see’s the vastness of the urban world. This is a big change from Boland’s usual poems, which deal with life in the city. Phrases like “the superstitious aura of hawthorn” give hawthorn a magical quality. This contrasts with the overtones of confinement discernible in the last stanza. But Boland can, at times, be partial to city life. Take the poem, “This moment”- this poem, deals in part, with the beauty of suburban life. “Things are getting ready to happen out of sight”-there is a sense of anticipation.
"This Moment" is a poem of wonderful simplicity dealing with the events of everyday living. Boland highlights the magic of such events thru a simple style, which awakes us all to the beauty of what usually goes unnoticed because of the normality of it. But, again, she criticizes the subirban perspective in "The War Horse".


Boland’s poems deal with love – an issue which is central to most people and therefore of enormous relevance. The creatively titled “Love” presents itself as a personal look at the changing nature of love. Boland and her husband lived in Iowa for the first few years of their marriage. Years later, Boland revisits the state whereupon she is inspired to write this poem. She begins by describing the intensity of their love during the years in America. Mythical references bring about a sense of magic to their love
Boland remembers how her ill daughter was spared. When the poet refers to the myth of Aeneas, she describes how, when his comrades hailed him ‘their mouths opened and their voices failed”. This allusion implies that Boland is unable to articulate the depth of her love she felt at this time. She implies, later in the poem that this level of intensity they felt for eachother can never crop up again: “It was years ago --- we love eachother still”. This shows that, although their love is not as strong as it once was, it still continues regardless. The poet concludes the such an intensity will never be apparent again. “the words are shadows and you can’t hear me”.
There is a sense that Boland is reluctantly resigning herself to the fact that their passion has eased

Boland is a feminist. This is an aspect of her poetry I find uncomfortable. Her poetry discusses the places of women in society . Famine Road holds an image of the Barren woman who is being told, in a crude manner, that she cannot conceive: “Out of every ten and then another third of those again”. As the doctor drags on, his voice continues to become colder, suggesting prejudice towards women.


Bolands poems have a somewhat unbiased nature. On the surface. “War Horse” is about a horse that Boland saw wandering on her land. When the horse has left, Boland investigates the damage caused by the horse. The early sound of hoofs puts a pejorative spin on the horse’s presence. But Boland, find that no great harm is done. This sets her thinking about the nature of war and scans it in terms of the Northern Ireland conflict which seemed likely to cross to the republic.
She see's that no great harm is done and asks "why should we care". This prompts the reader to evaluate his own views about war


In conclusion, my response to Bolands poems is very positive. She gives light to issues that are central to humans but that sometimes, In the rush of day to day events, tend to go unnoticed. Her conversational language conveys a sense of regularity about the sentiments she expresses. The rhythm of her verse has a wide appeal

highlydebased

thenakedanddead wrote: »

Jesus, I need to improve.

l

You started 4 paragraphs with "Boland".....substitute it with something else.

Victoria.

Cultural Context
Billy Elliot and Lamb


There are many similarities and differences in cultural context between the two texts Billy Elliot and Lamb. Although they are set in different time periods, we see similarities between them. In both texts, the issues of poverty, violence and abuse are dealt with.

Religion plays a central role in governing the character's lives and actions in Lamb, in contrast in Billy Elliot it is never mentioned, neither do we get the impression that it never influenced the characters. As Lamb is set in an institution run by the Catholic Church and the main character Michael is a brother, religion features heavily in the book. Early on we are made aware that the home is governed by fear. The boys are in the care of Br.Benedict who is an intellectual snob believing he is superior as he can communicate in several languages and believes anybody with a single language is a ‘cyclops’. He is a tyrant who abuses his position and his charges. Michael has been questioning his commitment to the church and when he informed Benedict he responded by letting him know that if he ever did leave he would ensure that he would never be employable in the future. This is an indication of the power and unquestioned position that the church held in the country at the time and its influence on the everyday lives of its adherents.

In both texts we see the effects of poverty. Billy Elliot is set during the miners strikes. Billy’s father was a miner and his family are now impoverished, venerable and fighting for their survival. We see how desperate the situation becomes when the mother’s piano must be sacrificed to allow them to heat the home and Jackie pawns his wife’s jewelry. In Lamb the reader is informed of the poor conditions in the home. The boys are dressed in old, gray clothes and we see Owen enjoy the freedom of London and he cannot believe his eyes when he sees his breakfast. Both texts deal with the issue of poverty in detail.

In both Billy Elliot and Lamb we are informed of the political situation of the time. In Billy Elliot we see the Anti-Tory sentiment and the rioting in Everyington. Billy and Debbie are oblivious to he heavy police presence in the streets as the walk happily beside a row of police in full riot gear. In Lamb we see that Br.Benedict’s sympathies lie with the IRA and the fight for a republic while Michael wishes only for peace.

We see lack of education in both texts. Owen has not received a formal education in the home and this becomes apparent when he is unable to read simple childrens' books in London. Br.Benedict, the intellectual snob grunts “I’ll thank you not to interrupt me again” and interrupts the conversation abruptly scolding Michael like he would a young child. He believes he is a cultured individual and speaks of his interests in classical literature and art. Michael in contrast believes that a proper education should include experiences of all kinds and he enjoys working with his hands outside. For these beliefs he is ridiculed by Benedict “skills of the mind rather than the hand”.

Alcohol also shapes the world of the characters. We are made aware on the central role alcohols plays in the lives of the characters in both texts. In Billy Elliot, alcohol is employed as a means of escape from the harsh reality of life. We see male residents of Everyington drunk at Christmas time and it is apparent that they use alcohol as a crutch and to numb their pain. the same can be said for Owen’s father and grandmother. In both texts, violence accompanies the drinking and it is the children that become victims. Owen is badly beaten by his father who tortures him both emotionally and physically. The father strolls down the road whistling a rubber pipe in the air to evoke absolute terror in his young son. We see in Billy Elliot that it is not just Jackie who uses drink to escape as when they go to the graveyard to visit his mother the are old can strewn around and even the headstone has been vandalised showing a society in turmoil.

Man’s role in society is also questioned in both texts. In Billy Elliot we see the characters debate over the role of men in society and how a ‘real’ man should behave. Billy’s environment is very macho and violent. In Everyington you have to be strong to survives and it is obvious that Jackie strongly believes this as he instills that message in his son. Billy needs to comply with the unwritten rules of society. He dismisses ballet as a girl’s pastime and wishes his son to compete in boxing or wrestling. Gorge the boxing couch shouts “you’re a disgrace to them gloves”. Jackie sees Billy’s dancing as extremely feminine and something that will ruin his reputation. As far as Jackie is concerned the only thing he has left is his reputation and he will not stand aside and allow a child to destroy it. In comparison, men in Lamb are also seen in two distinct groups. Those who vent frustration on loved ones such as Owen’s father and those who care for their fellow man and are more quiet, Michael for example.



The costumes and their symbolism plays a key role in both texts. There are used to symbolise social standing, profession and age. In Lamb during the period of the novel set in the home, the priests wear soutanes and the boys, old clothes. We see a change in this when the decision is made to travel to London. Michael wear ordinary clothes so as to not draw unwanted attention towards them and Owen takes pride in his new clothes bought for him as a gift from Michael. In comparison, the costumes in Billy Elliot are masculine and usually consist of jeans and boots, functional and dull. These types of clothes are in great contrast with the world of ballet where elegant dancers are clad in elegant pink and dainty shoes. However, Billy’s friend Michael wears his sister’s dress and his mother’s make-up when at home out of sight but doesn’t dare to venture outside. He lacks confidence as a result of the prejudice, hatred and discrimination he faces in the community regarding his sexuality and values Billy as a true friend. At the end of the movie when Billy is leaving for London we see a change, he wears a denim jacket emblazoned with an eagle symbolic of strength and freedom.

Music plays a key role in Billy Elliot and enhances the world of the characters, conveying emotion to the viewer. All emotions throughout are reflected in the choice of soundtrack. The film features many of the popular songs of the time and the final song by Stephen Gately who was homosexual who had come out at the time of the creation of the movie. In Lamb music does not play a key role. Michael and Owen listen to the radio in the sunshine in the park reminiscing as the song ‘All You Need Is Love’ plays.

In conclusion, there are many similarities and differences between Billy Elliot and Lamb in relation to cultural context. Both texts deal directly with the cultural issues of poverty, violence, alcoholism and abuse. In Lamb we see the great influence of the Catholic Church on the lives of the central characters and Ireland as a whole. We are aware that Michael must save the sacrificial lamb from Br.Benedict if he is to have any luck in the future. Similarly in Billy Elliot, we see the need for Billy to escape from Everyington in order to achieve his dreams and to escape his inevitable fate of life in the coal mines.

Victoria.

General Vision & Viewpoint
Billy Elliot and Lamb

Both Billy Elliot and Lamb contain messages of pessimism and optimism. They evoke strong emotion in the reader as the story unfolds. Both texts open with a feeling of loss, pessimism and hopelessness.

Our introduction to the world of Billy Elliot begins with a scene of his preparing breakfast for himself and his grandmother unsupervised. We see that he must fend for himself in the harsh environment he is growing up in. As he runs down the road we are aware of the large police presence in the area. Billy;s father and his brother return home and Billy is happily playing his mother’s piano, Jackie slams the lid down aggressively and soon after the two of them leave to take part in a protest. Billy is forced to live in a world of violence and uncertainty.

Similarly in Lamb, the reader is made aware of the harsh environment in which the novel is set. We are introduced to Br.Benedict, the arrogant and condescending tyrant who runs a home which he describes as “a finishing school for the idle poor”. He is an intellectual snob and declare “I am surrounded by the educationally sub-normal”. We are also introduced to main character in the novel, Br.Michael Lamb. In contrast to the violent and controlling Benedict, he is both caring and understanding.

Upon reading of the environment described as a prison where Benedict abuses his charges and abuses his position of power we are aware that he is a man out of control and one who must be escaped from. This situation also dealt with in Billy Elliot. Billy must escape from his inevitable fate of becoming a miner, this is all his home town offers in terms of employment and his elder brother Tony has already began work in the mines, something Billy is determined to avoid. Both children are growing up in violent and macho surroundings. Owen’s brothers had joined the army and merchant navy, perhaps to escape or to have an outlet for their rage and temper bred by their world.

In Billy Elliot, it is Billy who sees the need for escape while in contrast, in Lamb, it is Michael that realises he must save Owen. Michael plays the role of father and protector of Owen and it is Mrs.Wilkinson that does this in Billy Elliot. She pleads his case to his father who sees investing money in his dancing as a complete waste and an action that will destroy his reputation. Jackie feels that his son should stick to his roots, forget about ballet and come back to reality. His lack of tolerance may be as a result of the loss of his beloved wife and the stress of the miner’s strike. Michael is an optimistic character in Billy Elliot. He values Billy as a friend and he encourages him saying “boxing is a load of ****e” and joking “I think you’d look wicked in a tutu”.



We see another point in which pessimism may be observed in Billy Elliot when he decides to go to Mrs. Wilkinson’s house. Earlier we see her making a negative statement “the sun will come out tomorrow, fat chance”. Now we see her husband ask ask billy about the strike voicing his opinions ‘I’d shut the lot down” and “if they had a ballot they’d be back tomorrow”. Like Br.Benedict, he likes to comment on issues that do not even concern him and he does this to allow himself to believe that he is superior to others. In Lamb when Benedict feels the need to comment on the troubles, an issue which he is not qualified to express his views on as he has never been involved in any way or examined the situation objectively, instead allowing his biased views to shape his comments. When Billy asks Mr.Wilkinson what he does for a living, Debbie replies “he’s being made redundant”, he will soon see what it is like for the miners first hand.

The reader or viewer of these texts experiences a feeling of optimism as they watch the character’s relationship become closer and more loving. Towards the end of Lamb, Owen sees Michael as both his father and best friend. Similarly in Billy Elliot we see Billy and Jackie becoming close and messing in contrast to their relationship at the beginning of the movie. After Billy’s dance of defiance at the boxing hall his father becomes aware of the passion his son has for ballet and it is not just a phase. He decides to stand by him and do all he can to aid his young son. We witness a poignant toward the end of the film when Billy leaves for London. We see the bus pulling away from Everyington and Tony attempts to tell Billy “I love you” but Billy is unable to hear him. This scene provokes intense emotion in the viewer as this is the first time Tony and Billy have been close and this special moment is lost. Close and loving relationships are promoted in each text.

Both texts emphaise the importance of each individual person and their talents. In Lamb, Michael is the only one willing to allow Owen to have a chance at life and sees him for who he truly is, he wants to give him the best life he can and knows this cannot be possible while he is in the home. We also see this in Billy Elliot when Billy allows Ms.Wilkinson to read a letter left to him by his mother. In it she wrote “please know that I was always there with you through everything and I always will be” and “always be yourself”. These messages are promoted in both texts and are perhaps the most important rules conveyed to the reader in each text, be yourself and do anything you can to achieve your dreams, children being the most important thing everywhere.

Escape plays a key role in both texts. In Lamb, Michael is adamant that he must save the sacrificial lamb form the abuse and evil of the church. We see both Michael and Owen escape by boat to England. We also see Ms.Wilkinson and Billy travel to the royal Ballet School. Both trips involve the crossing of water. Bodies of water become symbolic in the division of old and new.



In both Billy Elliot and Lamb we see the lack of culture and respect for the arts. In Lamb we learn that Michael has never travelled by plane and in contrast, Benedict claim to have many foreign languages “I myself have a few good eyes and a few lesser ones” and he has an interest in classical literature. Michael is more of a practical man and does not see the need for any of this or judges people by their academic achievements and prefers to work with his hands. Similarly with Jackie who says he has “never been past Durham” and when Billy asks him what London is like he says he doesn’t know because he has no interest as there are “no mines in London”. We see that this lack of interest has passed onto the next generation when a boy in the ballet school asks Billy about his local city “isn’t there an amazing cathedral?” to which Billy replies “I don’t know I’ve never been”.

We see the lengths that the characters will go to in order to achieve their dreams and better standards of life. These actions undertaken by the main characters evoke feelings of optimism and hope in the reader. Michael is willing to put his job, reputation and freedom on the line if it will help Owen. As his money dwindles and news of the kidnapping closes in on them, Michaels runs out of ideas and hope and the novel ends in a dark painful climax in which Michael finally puts an end to the young boys suffering. Michael wants to protect him from the brutality of the home and sees drowning Owen as the only way out.

Similarly in Billy Elliot we see Jackie doing everything possible to dave his son from working the rest of his life in the mines and allowing him to live out the rest of his life stuck in Everyington. He pawns his dead wife’s jewelry in a poignant scene, crosses the picket line and smashes the piano in order to allow his family to survive. He goes against everything he has ever believed in for the good of his son. In contrast to Lamb this pays off and Billy becomes a star.

Billy becomes a dancer, however there are still winners and losers in the movie. Jackie ends up returning to work, everyday he is lowered into the centre of the earth in a cage symbolising being trapped. Both he and Tony are trapped in the mining industry with no means of escape. Mrs.Wilkinson is also forced to live out the rest of her life in Everyington knowing herself that she will never become a professional dancer and she has missed the boat. In contrast, we feel optimistic for Michael Billy’s friend. As Billy departs he wears a denim jacket emblazoned with an eagle, symbolic of strength, determination and freedom. Michael is comfortable in himself and has a good life ahead of him. The climax of Billy Elliot is optimistic and gives us hope. It allows the viewer to believe in their dreams and to see their potential.

In conclusion, there are many ways the writers of these texts evoke optimism and pessimism in the reader or viewer. This is primarily achieved through the words or actions of the characters. Both texts present both optimistic and pessimistic worlds at times and each character has their fair share of hardship to endure. Billy Elliot leaves the viewer feeling hopeful and optimistic for the future while Lamb reminds us that not everything can go according to plan, it brings us to reality and reminds us of those less fortunate.

Victoria.

Patrick Kavanagh
Eloquent Revelations of the Ordinary

It has been said that “Kavanagh’s poems are eloquent revelations of the ordinary”. Through his use of interesting language and thought provoking imagery, he conveys a new and unusual view of an otherwise mundane world. He reveals himself as a person who finds the ordinary, extraordinary. He celebrates everyday life through beautiful language and illustrates the beauty of the ordinary. Through his work we are shown a world of wonder, radiance and beauty.

One of my favourite poems by Patrick Kavanagh is ‘A Christmas Childhood’. Here we see how he employs beautiful imagery to convey the wonder that a young child feels at christmas time, something familiar to all of us. We first see the ordinary combined with the extraordinary in the first two lines ‘one side of the potato pits was white with frost - how wonderful that was, how wonderful!’. Line one is a factual and accurate description while line two is powered with emotion in tone, repetition and exclamation mark. This poem allows the reader to imagine Christmas in a picturesque, rural setting. We see evidence of a Catholic upbringing and this shapes the way in which the child interprets what it sees ‘the light between the ricks of hay and straw was a hole in heaven’s gable’. Hay and straw are ordinary sights on a farm but for Kavanagh, Earth gives way to heaven, everything is possible and the ordinary is never forgotten. Heaven is spoken of in terms of a building whose ‘gable end’ has a lit window. The frosted apple tree is another image of spiritual significance which carries a different feeling into the world of the poem. The tree ‘with its December glinting fruit’ is representative of the tree of knowledge in Eden which led to the fall of man into a sinful state.

The childlike descriptions in this poem are thought provoking, the reader imagining them-self as a young child rediscovering the magic of Christmas. They see the wonder and beauty in ordinary things and it is Kavanagh who enables them to do this. The reader feels free to dream as they did before everything needed a rational explanation. While reading this poem one may feel as if the surprise and magic and we are left only with our boring little lives void of creativity, wonder and drive.

A second poem which I thoroughly enjoyed and in which I felt connected to the poet was ‘Inniskeen Road : July Evening’. In the opening Kavanagh describes the scene prior to a local dance. Again, we see him depicting ordinary events of life. He paints the scene of the youth of the village traveling to a dance ‘the bicycles go past in twos and threes theres a dance in Billy Brennan’s barn tonight’. These lines are casual and colloquial. It is language at its simplest and naming a real person roots it in the ordinary and more realistic. These opening lines flow easily with the aid of alliteration, end rhyme and repetition. Kavanagh belongs to the place yet he feels like an outsider. He is aware of the sense of companionship and togetherness between those going to the dance in ‘twos and threes’, he feels cut off and not involved in the ‘half talk code of mysteries’. I think this poem is an extremely accurate illustration of what one feels when not part of the group, an onlooker, an artistic portrait of an ordinary occurrence and ongoing internal battles with self confidence.

The poet is dismayed that he is unable to participate. He cannot understand the other people and feels like he speak a different language.. The repetition of ‘And’ emphasises his sense of separation, isolation and dismay. In the first four lines of the sonnet there is a sense of anticipation, then the poem becomes increasingly quiet and contemplative. The sounds begin to move less freely as he comes to terms with his isolation.

Though Kavanagh is alone, he is connected with the landscape in a way that the part goers are not. His understanding of the locality is different. He wishes to find hidden meaning in the most ordinary objects and is deeply philosophical. The second section of the poem begins with ‘I’ and signals a more direct tone. The poet describes his love-hate relationship with poetry, ‘I have what every poet hates in spite’. He compares his situation to that of Alexander Selkirk, ‘Oh Alexander Selkirk knew the plight’. This comparison is an interesting technique as the poet feels as he imagines Selkirk felt, extremely isolated as he was marooned on a island, an interesting exaggeration. The last phrase of the poem ‘of banks and stones and every bloomin’ thing’, is controversial as it may be interpreted in a number of ways, both positive and negative. It could be employment of slang or refer to his imagination and ability to see beauty and wonder in the ordinary.

Another poem in which we witness Kavanagh painting beautiful images surrounding the mundane is ‘Advent’. This piece encourages the reader to wonder about the true meaning of life. This impressive and beautifully written poem looks at Advent, the four weeks in the church calendar when Christians prepare for Christmas. It is a time of contemplation and discovery. At the time when this poem was written this time of year was of greater spiritual importance to the majority, more so than today and was associated with penance and deprivation. The poem is creatively divided into four distinct sections representative of each week of Advent.

The poem begins with a feeling of excess and distaste ‘ we have tested and tasted too much lover’. The poet is in a dull state and lacking in wonder. The next line is of great relevance to all of us ‘through a chink too wide comes in no wonder’. I believe that all should reflect on this line as it speaks a truth that our materialistic society must realise. We have focused too much on objects and not enough on the things that truly matter like spirituality and the family. This line is of contrast to the sense of magic and unknown in ‘A Christmas Childhood’. Kavanagh pleads with us to re-create the mystery of God. The poet’s life is lacking in awe, something many of us can identify with. He longs for a return to simplicity and spiritual awareness ‘of penance will charm back the luxury of a child’s soul’. A biblical reference is employed ‘we’ll return to Doom, the knowledge we stole but could not use’. This may refer to the eating of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden as with this fateful action, came man’s downfall into a state of sin. The poet speaks of the ‘newness that was in every stale thing when we looked at it as children’, he highlights the element of wonder and quest for knowledge in a child’s enquiring mind, something we have lost. He wishes to return to the beginning and employs images associated with Christ’s birth to portray this ‘cart tracks, old stables where time begins’. He wants us to abandon the excess knowledge and sophistication we have acquired for what is basic and real.

In the second section of the poem, Kavanagh looks to the future. There is a sense of hope and positivity as he anticipates the renewal and rejuvenation, ‘O after Christmas’. The ‘O’ registers the tone of joyful anticipation. Life’s ‘ordinary plenty’ will surround the poet. Kavanagh is not looking for the exotic or extravagant, instead he finds the extraordinary in the ordinary. He will experience God’s love and enjoy its presence without analysing it ‘ God we shall not ask for reason’s payment’. In the final lines Kavanagh speaks of throwing off ‘the clay minted wages’. ‘Clay minted’, reminds one that we are no more that dust and that adult, conscious, mortal knowledge should be abandoned and thrown away if we are to experience joy and God’s love. The poem ends with a expectation of a new beginning ‘And Christ comes with a January flower’.

In conclusion, there are many examples of Kavanagh’s poetry in which he speaks of the extraordinary within the ordinary. He wishes us to see the world as a child again, full of wonder, magic and expectation. He asks us move away from materialism to enable us to appreciate life for what it is. He sees God’s creation in the smallest and most insignificant things and encourages the reader to look for it too ‘charm back the luxury of a child’s soul’.

XXRachelXX

That Kavanagh essay is really good victoria