‘Do you like the poetry of Derek Mahon, why?’ I like the poetry of Derek Mahon because of its visual impact, the sympathetic outlook it possesses, its interesting perspective on political and religious conflict, as well as the empathy and sympathy with the lives of others in his poetry. The… Continue Reading →
Sympathetic poetry Grandfather: . As mentioned previously, this poem focuses in part on the detail that Mahon’s grandfather was frequently absent, and was not present when needed, ‘Never there when you call’. It would thus be understandable if Mahon was someway resentful towards his grandfather, yet in this poem Mahon explores… Continue Reading →
Empathizes with others through his poetry Raithlin: Mahon mirrors Somhairle Bui who is ‘powerless on the mainland’ as he watches the killings on the island of Raithlin. He comments on how Somhairle can only hear ‘the screams of the Rathlin women… seconds after, upon the wind’, which is similar to… Continue Reading →
Ecclesiastes: In the poem Mahon speaks critically of the Protestant culture and details his reason for rejecting this culture. The Protestant culture is a repressive regime, represented with the ‘shipyard silence, the tied-up swings’, both of which indicate the lack of freedom for and restriction of members of this culture; shipyards… Continue Reading →
Day Trip to Donegal: Here Mahon examines the relationship between man and nature, using imagery to display how man is harmfully intruding on the natural world. Donegal is initially idealized with imagery of the sublime, with Mahon declaring that its hills are ‘a deeper green/ Than anywhere in the world’,… Continue Reading →
Write an essay on the appeal of Elizabeth Bishop’s poetry Elizabeth Bishop’s poetry is appealing for a variety of reasons. Her poetry is intertwined with her life, a depressing but interesting one that saw a troubled childhood, many countries and many awards for her poetry. Her celebrations of the ordinary… Continue Reading →
General Vision and Viewpoint answer continued: ‘The general vision and viewpoint of a text can be determined by the success or failure of a central character in his/ her efforts to achieve fulfilment.’ In the light of the above statement, compare the general vision and viewpoint in the three texts… Continue Reading →
‘The general vision and viewpoint of a text can be determined by the success or failure of a central character in his/ her efforts to achieve fulfilment.’ In the light of the above statement, compare the general vision and viewpoint in the three texts you have studied on your comparative… Continue Reading →
The Fish: The poem is set in free verse. There are short lines with enjambment present, giving the impression of Bishop simply spilling her thoughts out onto the page, such as when Bishop remarks ‘I caught a tremendous fish/ and held him beside the boat/ half out of water, with my… Continue Reading →
Vivid, detailed descriptions of the exotic and familiar The Armadillo: The balloons, while fiery, are familiar; they are objects of the ordinary, known by all audiences and present in all facets of life, such as times of celebration. Bishop enforces their ordinariness by revealing that their appearance is not a surprise;… Continue Reading →
