Monday, January 21, 2008
Prompt #1
Explore in either the “Easter Proclamation” or in Yeats’s poems one of the following themes from our discussion on Friday: naming, memory, difference, the relation between politics and religion, fear, or history. How do these themes, so central to Irish culture and history, manifest themselves in literature? How do they operate artistically? Incorporate into your response what you have read in Edna Longley’s article and in Making Sense of the Troubles. (If you wish to consider another theme, please consult me first.) Remember your posts must comply with academic protocol and are due by 2:00pm Monday.
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The theme of history in Irish literature is prominent in the "Proclamation of the Republic" of Ireland, a declaration of the end of British rule by representatives of the fledgling government of Ireland. In the "Proclamation", the history of Ireland is used to glorify and empower the people of Ireland. Specifically, the history of Ireland is used to emphasize a tradition of fighting for freedom in order to strengthen the demand for independence. "The Proclamation" depicts the tradition of resistance as an ancient and long-standing institution by dedicating this Proclamation to “the dead generations” and by stating that the Irish people have asserted their right to freedom via armed conflict six times during the past three hundred years at the time ("Proclamation of the Republic", lines 2, 13-14). "The Proclamation" also adds legitimacy to its struggle by concisely describing the deliberate planning of the independence movement, the support of foreign powers, and the utilization of opportune timing in its body (lines 5-8). "The Proclamation" also uses the history of Ireland to discredit the British occupation of Ireland, calling it the “usurpation of [Irish freedom] by a foreign power” and accusing London of creating division between different groups in Ireland (lines 10, 20-21).
The theme of history is utilized artistically in the "Proclamation" as a glorified struggle between an oppressive foreign empire and a resistive and strong people striving to remove their yoke of oppression. "The Proclamation" describes the need for Ireland’s children to “sacrifice themselves for the common good” in order to attain freedom, portrayed as an “august destiny” (lines 29-30). The Irish are described as proud and possessing a “full confidence of victory” (line 8). In the "Proclamation", the British government is an alien and insidious power trying to create divisiveness among the Irish (lines 10, 20-21). "The Proclamation" does describe events with historical basis, such as the differences between groups of Irish. While the "Proclamation" may have exaggerated the extent to which the British may have tried to instill divisiveness among the Irish, the claims are not completely unfounded. Many Protestants emigrated to Ireland as part of a British plan to install a loyal British front on Ireland in order to maintain a foothold on the island (Making the Sense of the Troubles 2). The artistic depiction of the struggle for Irish independence further magnifies the necessity and the high morality of the resistance.
McKittrick, David and McVea, David. Making Sense of the Troubles: The Story of the Conflict in Northern Ireland. Chicago: New Amsterdam Books. 2002.
Clarke, Thomas, MacDiamada Sean, et al. "Proclamation of the Republic". 24 April 1916.
Yates’ poem Sixteen Dead Men which discusses the Easter Rising of 1916 draws on memory, a common theme in Irish literature. While lines such as “You say that we should still the land Till Germany’s overcome” (lines 8 and 9) indicate the speaker’s identification with the rebels, Yates uses several techniques to make the poem very personal to both sides. This personal connection stirs both the collective and personal memories in the reader, especially Irish readers who lived or who know people who lived during the Troubles. By using pronouns such as “we” or “you”, Yates creates a personal connection to the poem, subject matter, and feelings associated with those pronouns. Just as Edna Longley used outside opinions from prominent Irish figures that may not be recognizable to outsiders in her essay, Yates uses the names of those who died. These recognizable names like MacDonagh and Pearse call on the collective Irish memory. This technique is also used to some extent in Making Sense of the Troubles where the Northern Ireland history is told largely through certain prominent figures like O’Neill and Paisley. By using names that may not be recognizable to those not personally involved or well studied in the Irish history, these writers call on that unified Irish collective memory. While Yates’ use of prominent figures call on the collective memory of the Irish public, the use of the opposing pronouns “we” and “you” highlight the differences in that collective memory. This appeal to memory artistically makes the poem more relatable and emotionally powerful, increasing its effectiveness overall.
Yeats’ poem “The Rose Tree” is steeped with politics and political connotations. The metaphorical title, the poem’s protagonists, and the underlying Catholic theology all attest to the political nature of the poem.
The poem’s central icon, the Rose Tree, is a compounded metaphor that references “the French republican liberty tree, Dark Rosaleen, and the blood of patriots and Catholic martyrs (Longely 72).” Republicanism was the basis of Irish Nationalists political campaign which was historically drawn from the political ideals French Revolution. Dark Rosaleen arises straight from Irish folklore and translates into the literary symbol of Ireland. Martyrdom is a central concept in Catholicism and serves to reiterate the closeness of religion to politics in Ireland.
The poem chronicles the imagined last discourse between Irish independence leaders Patrick Pearse and James Connolly. The first stanza opens the dialogue with Pearse searching for what “Has withered our Rose Tree (4).” Pearse can find two plausible causes: “a breath of politic words (2)” and/or “a wind that blows/ Across the bitter sea (4-5).” The “politic words” refer to the widespread Unionist sentiment that pervaded most of Ireland during the early twentieth century. The wind is of course Britain’s flat disapproval of the call for an independent Ireland. The misdeeds of both the Unionists and the British have weakened the Ireland that Pearse and Connolly have worked to maintain. In this first stanza Yeats has concisely articulated the political situation in Ireland in 1916.
Connolly speaks in the second stanza, reassuring Pearse that “[the Rose Tree] needs to be but watered (7)” in order to “be the garden’s pride (12).” Connolly believes that the Rose Tree needs only to be given sustenance in order to grow. Here the Rose Tree symbolizes Irish Nationalism. The eerie simplicity of Connolly’ reply foreshadows the real political events that are about to happen. After the deaths of Pearse and Connolly and other Irish patriots, Irish Nationalism gained more widespread support and Ireland eventually won its Independence (Making Sense).
The final stanza deals with the religious aspect of the politics of Ireland, specifically with the Catholic concept of martyrdom. Pearse asks Connolly where they can find sustenance for their cause. The answer is again simply stated: “O plain as plain can be/ There’s nothing but our red blood/ Can make a right Rose Tree (16-18).” The death of Pearse and Connelly is the only way for Irish Nationalism to survive and the “right” Ireland to be obtained. Pearse and Connolly must die for their cause; and in so doing, they will become martyrs.
The political implications of the Catholic concept of martyrdom are seen in how Pearse and Connolly are documented in “The Rose Tree.” Yeats’ tone of the poem captures the “poetic and dramatic attention-seeking (Longely 72)” of the kinds of commemorations ceremonies of the time. Like in Yeats’ poem Catholic commemorative ceremonies used political history and religious theology to appeal to the audience. Religion can not be separated politics of the times; therefore Yeats' use of religious undertones is keenly political.
Yeats’ poem “The Rose Tree” pays homage to not only the politics of Irish Independence but also the types of political propaganda of the time. The direct naming of political persons, the nature of the setting, as well as the religious undertone combine to make “The Rose Tree” a sketch of Ireland’s political landscape during the fight for Irish independence.
In Edna Longley’s article Making Sense of the Troubles, she says about Patrick Pearse and the Easter Rising that, "Never has an insurrection been so deliberately memorable as well as comemorative, so conscious of its audeience..." (72). She goes on to talk about "Pearse's appetite for martyrdom" and his fixation that through martyrdom and sacrifice change can happen in Ireland. But, rather than condoning Pearse's actions, she shows that they may in fact have increased the distance between Irish Catholics and Irish protestants, who would see Pearse's self-identification with christ (as a martyr) as being near blasphemous. An ambivalent tone is set that does not answer whether the Easter Rising was a good or bad event for Irish independence. However, for Longley, Pearse's obsession with becoming a martyr was his way of connecting his religious beliefs with revitalizing Ireland politically.
Similarly, this careful nurturing of martyrdom to instigate political change is seen in "The Rose Tree," by Yeats. Yeats uses symbolism to convey Pearse's belief that for the rose tree (an independent Ireland) to blossom, men must sacrifice their lives for their beliefs. To escape the current state of political apathy and oppression, a useless "breath of politic words" is no longer sufficient; only action from the Irish citizens will allow Ireland to rejuvenate. The neglect that Britain has shown Ireland has caused a withering of the rose tree and "parched" (created apathy) all the wells which could revitalize the rose tree. Here Yeats depicts Pearse and Connolly standing at their rose tree and concluding that the only way to revitalize it is with their own blood: "There's nothing but our own red blood / Can make a right Rose Tree" (lines 17-18). As in Longley's article "The Rose Tree," Yeats neither condones nor chastises Pearse and the Easter Rising; however, the final lines illustrate the horrific nature of planning your own martyrdom.
Ultimately "The Rose Tree" and Longley's article demonstrate how often religion and politics influence each other, Especially in a country like Ireland, where the lines between religious factions are drawn so distinctly that keeping religion and politics separate would be an impossibility.
Works Cited Longley, Edna. Living Stream: Literature and Revisionism in Ireland. Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Bloodaxe Books, 1994. Yeats, W.B., The Poems: A New Edition, edited by Richard J. Finneran. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1983.
In 1916, Dublin erupted in a rebellion in which Irish republicans sought sovereignty and independence from Britain. During this insurgence, commonly known as “The Easter Rising,” a document outlining the goals of the Irish republicans was announced. In naming the objectives and principles of the separatists, the “Easter Proclamation” (also the “Proclamation of the Republic”) became a manifestation of the vital differences that separated Catholics and Protestants in 20th century Ireland. The large majority of Irish population is Protestant, and most Protestants support staying under British rule. The other large religious population is Catholic, and it is the Catholics that generally support Irish independence and nationalism. While religion is not cited as a direct written factor in the Proclamation, it is the underlying tension between the Protestant and Catholic political beliefs that has and continues to provoke unsettlement and instability within Ireland in forms such as “The Easter Rising.”
Radically different opinions regarding Irish independence are prevalent throughout the country’s history. The Proclamation states, “In every generation the Irish people have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty: six times during the past three hundred years they have asserted it in arms.” (Clarke, lines 9-10) The Proclamation evokes the sometimes violent and politically unstable history of Ireland in order to inspire the Irish population to join the republican movement.
The Proclamation addresses the problems Ireland has faced regarding religious tolerance, however the authors remain very diplomatic in their diction. “The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all the children of the nation equally, and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past.” (Clarke, lines 13-16) This is a direct acknowledgement of the deep seeded separatism between Protestants and Catholics in Ireland. Taking artistic literary license, the Proclamation offers a sense of hope and declares that the deep-rooted differences that have plagued Ireland for years can be overcome. While the Proclamation states that is attempting to set aside these religious and political differences, it is arguable that these factors are in indeed the driving force behind the “Easter Rising” and “Easter Proclamation.”
Clarke, Thomas, MacDiamada Sean, et al. "Proclamation of the Republic.” 24 April 1916.
McKittrick, David and McVea, David. "Making Sense of the Troubles: The Story of the Conflict in Northern Ireland." Chicago: New Amsterdam Books. 2002.
Yeats’ poem “The Rose Tree” uses strong symbolism and historic figures to address “the Troubles” in Ireland in the early 20th century. Patrick Pearse and James Connolly stand in front of the “withered...Rose Tree” and discuss what has caused it to die and how to revive it. These two figures bring attention to historical events such as the Easter Rising where both of them died rebelling against British rule in Ireland. The Rose Tree they speak of represents the historic events that they were involved in that characterized the movement against British rule. They wonder if “[their]” Rose Tree died because of “a breath of politic words,” representing the intense political and religious confrontations. The “wind that blows/ Across the bitter sea” alludes to the British influence as a neighboring island. They continue to ponder the state of their Tree and symbolically illustrate how they wish for their political objectives to grow and prosper, as a tree must be nurtured and “watered” in order to thrive. Pearse and Connolly hope their Tree will become “green…again/ and spread…to be the garden’s pride” so that an independent Ireland can stand proud as well. The second stanza uses this strong natural symbol for the Irish nationalist ideals, and stands in striking contrast to the violent suggestion made in the final stanza. A seemingly peaceful, beautiful Rose Tree can only grow with “our own red blood” as Pearse suggests, again calling attention to the violent political movements such as the Easter Rising. The poem contains a defeatist attitude, in which Pearse and Connolly feel nothing can be done to nurture the Irish independent movement except violent action.
Yeats, The Poems: A New Edition, edited by Richanrd J. Finneran, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York.
McKittrick, David and McVea, David. Making Sense of the Troubles: The Story of the Conflict in Northern Ireland. Chicago: New Amsterdam Books. 2002.
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