Ireland Unfree Shall Never Be at Peace - Patrick Pearse
Ireland Unfree Shall Never be at Peace is a speech given by Patrick Pearse, a teacher, lawyer, poet, writer and also a political activist, during the funeral of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa on 1 August 1915. This speech was delivered at the Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin, where several prominent Irish national figures are buried. When Pearse gave his speech, British politicians such as the Prime Minister W.Gladstone tried to give to Ireland more political independence. But what is at stake in this document is that some Irish want to be ruled by themselves and not by London anymore. “Unfree” in the tittle could be interpreted by the way as if Ireland was a prisoner of the United Kigdom. That is why several Irish claimed their independence and want to contend for this.
O'Donovan Rossa is one of the founding member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, an organization created to put down the British rule in Ireland. Pearse joined this organization few months after its creation, because he did not want Britain as a ruler for his own country.
Thus, let's see now how did Patrick Pearse try to convince his audience all along his speech? What are the techniques he used and what are the effects they provoked?
Patrick Pearse never hide his patriotism, his wish of an independent country with no one except Irish themselves who can rule it. He fought all along his life to defend the values he believed in, and the Irish independence was part of them. To rouse Irish Republican feeling, Patrick Pearse uses O'Donovan Rossa's death as a pretext, as a reason to show and explain how the Ireland he wants looks like.
He first uses the notion of unity to make people feel as one, to make people realize that Ireland is just one part that can not be divided by anyone, including Britain. Indeed, all along the document we can read that Pearse uses the pronoun “we” to express his feelings and thoughts (“We of the Irish Volunteers..” ; “in the name of all” ; “the thought and the hope that
O'Donovan Rossa is one of the founding member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, an organization created to put down the British rule in Ireland. Pearse joined this organization few months after its creation, because he did not want Britain as a ruler for his own country.
Thus, let's see now how did Patrick Pearse try to convince his audience all along his speech? What are the techniques he used and what are the effects they provoked?
Patrick Pearse never hide his patriotism, his wish of an independent country with no one except Irish themselves who can rule it. He fought all along his life to defend the values he believed in, and the Irish independence was part of them. To rouse Irish Republican feeling, Patrick Pearse uses O'Donovan Rossa's death as a pretext, as a reason to show and explain how the Ireland he wants looks like.
He first uses the notion of unity to make people feel as one, to make people realize that Ireland is just one part that can not be divided by anyone, including Britain. Indeed, all along the document we can read that Pearse uses the pronoun “we” to express his feelings and thoughts (“We of the Irish Volunteers..” ; “in the name of all” ; “the thought and the hope that