yeats poems
September 1913:
- Expresses Yeats’ frustration over how violence is not the way forward, however peaceful Ireland is ‘with O’Leary in the grave’ and all that is left is violence.
- Significant date, general strike where workers were shut out of factories as their employers did not want to acquiesce to better working conditions / wages
- Materialism infected merchant’s minds
Form:
- Ballad, has a clear chorus
- Popular form in Irish Culture
- One of Yeats’ most sarcastic poems, he chooses this form in order to mock
- ABAB Rhyme Scheme, simple structure and strong rhyme carry political messages better.
John O’Leary - died in 1907
- Founder of Young Republic Brotherhood
- Yeats was influenced by him- revolution could be born of art
Stanza 1: -
Against the apathy of business owners in Dublin
A direct retaliation to the general strike He is disgusted by the business owners, as they are undermining the true Romantic Ireland.
Quotes: - “But fumble in a greasy till”- untrustworthy, corrupt, greed of the owners, became shiny due to the over-use
“And add the halfpence to the pence / and prayer to shivering prayer” – Money and religion is all they care about, pence is such a small amount emphasise their greed, forgotten to care about Ireland. Not meant to be ‘shivering’ praying is warm
“For man were born to pray and save”- Ironic as ‘save’ people or money. ‘Pray’ is a pun for prey
“Romantic Ireland’s dead and gone, / It’s with O’Leary in the grave”.- O’Leary was last bastion of man who had no sense of self-interest. He happily went into exile, but was not interested in making a martyr of himself as some of the Easter 1916 people may have done. Romanticism
Stanza 2: suggesting that the best prayer is action:
“Yet they were of a different kind / the names that stilled your childish play” - talking about great ‘heroes’ of Ireland, comparing them to business owners, merchants knew about them
Stanza 3:
“Was it for this the wild geese spread”-
- Expresses Yeats’ frustration over how violence is not the way forward, however peaceful Ireland is ‘with O’Leary in the grave’ and all that is left is violence.
- Significant date, general strike where workers were shut out of factories as their employers did not want to acquiesce to better working conditions / wages
- Materialism infected merchant’s minds
Form:
- Ballad, has a clear chorus
- Popular form in Irish Culture
- One of Yeats’ most sarcastic poems, he chooses this form in order to mock
- ABAB Rhyme Scheme, simple structure and strong rhyme carry political messages better.
John O’Leary - died in 1907
- Founder of Young Republic Brotherhood
- Yeats was influenced by him- revolution could be born of art
Stanza 1: -
Against the apathy of business owners in Dublin
A direct retaliation to the general strike He is disgusted by the business owners, as they are undermining the true Romantic Ireland.
Quotes: - “But fumble in a greasy till”- untrustworthy, corrupt, greed of the owners, became shiny due to the over-use
“And add the halfpence to the pence / and prayer to shivering prayer” – Money and religion is all they care about, pence is such a small amount emphasise their greed, forgotten to care about Ireland. Not meant to be ‘shivering’ praying is warm
“For man were born to pray and save”- Ironic as ‘save’ people or money. ‘Pray’ is a pun for prey
“Romantic Ireland’s dead and gone, / It’s with O’Leary in the grave”.- O’Leary was last bastion of man who had no sense of self-interest. He happily went into exile, but was not interested in making a martyr of himself as some of the Easter 1916 people may have done. Romanticism
Stanza 2: suggesting that the best prayer is action:
“Yet they were of a different kind / the names that stilled your childish play” - talking about great ‘heroes’ of Ireland, comparing them to business owners, merchants knew about them
Stanza 3:
“Was it for this the wild geese spread”-