Ploitics in September 1913

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  • Created by: maliha997
  • Created on: 31-01-14 14:29

September 1913

Notes by Fenella Chesterfield 

Quite drastic change from later poems like “among School Children’ and ‘Easter 1916’, this is a more naive Yeats.

*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

Union ITGWN (Yeats argued that this was completely against Irish Romanticism)

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

- Simple ABAB rhyme scheme, as sometimes simple structures and strong rhyme carry political messages better.

John O’Leary - died in 1907

- founder of Young Republic Brotherhood

- Yeats was highly influenced by him – he taught Yeats that revolution could             be born of art.

- father / grandfather like figure to Yeats

Stanza 1:

-  lambasting against the apathy of the 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.

But fumble in a greasy till

-  corrupt  / untrustworthy

-   absolutely lambasting the greed of the owners

And add the halfpence to the pence / And prayer to shivering prayer

-  money and religion are all they care about

-  pence is such a small amount – emphasizes their greed

-  forgotten to care about Ireland

You have dried the marrow from the bone

- absolute annihilation

For man were born to pray and save

-  laced with irony

-  ‘save’ = money or people?

Romantic Ireland’s dead and gone, / It’s with O’Leary in the grave.

-  refrain

-  O’Leary was last bastion of man who had no sense of self-interest. He…

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