Write a critical appraisal of any one poem by Yeats, paying particular attention to such features as

University Degree Linguistics, Classics and related subjects

Write a critical appraisal of any one poem by Yeats, paying particular attention to such features as

Yeats's poem _Easter, 1916_ is striking in many ways not only ??in terms of the political content of the poem, but also in terms ??of the way it is written in it's contrasting imagery, themes and ??tone. It is an important poem from which the reader can ??ascertain his opinion on the subject of the Easter Rising and ??those involved in it, and also his opinion on the subject of ??Irish Nationalism as a whole. All this is achieved through the ??various techniques he employs including the nature of the form, ??diction and imagery, which combines to elucidate his chosen ??themes. ?

_ "_"_ __The general form of the poem is that of a lyric and each ??strophe of that lyric is made to be quite different in tone but ??they combine to form a coherent account of the poets feelings, or ??mixed feelings on the subject of the Easter Rising. The whole ??poem is fairly rhythmic in its general form with a regular ??alternate rhyming scheme, and for that reason flows particularly ??well.?

_ "_"_ __One way that Yeats can therefore stress a particular point, ??is by interrupting that flow by using a different length of line. _ <eth>7?3 _?S�?This technique is evident in the last verse with the shortened ??lines: "Too long a sacrifice.." , and: "O when may it suffice". ??By doing this Yeats puts the emphasis on his doubts about the use ??of violence to achieve the aims of the Easter Rising, and the ??Nationalist cause as a whole.?

_ "_"_ __The way that the poem is written in parts in a colloquial ??manner emphasises the way that the whole subject has become a ??forum for debate. Yeats himself although possessing a personal ??view on the actions of the Nationalists thought that the question ??of politics and art should be kept quite separate. His tendency ??towards a nostalgic view of old Ireland and the naturalistic, and ??Celtic imagery that were so prominent in his earlier poetry was ??though fading somewhat with each edition of poetry he wrote. In ??_Easter, 1916_ the reader can see glimpses of the old ideals ...

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_ "_"_ __Yeats may by writing this particular poem be making sure ??that the revolutionaries, even if unintentionally become folk ??heroes themselves, just like Cuchulain. It is obvious that the ??poem is not supposed to be creating heroes as Yeats is reticent ??to build up the revolutionaries too much, and indeed is quite ??often seen to portray them in a less than favourable light, but ??by association alone he has done his bit for the Nationalist ??cause just by writing on the subject.?

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_ "_"_ __Yeats though is not a full supporter of the actions of the ??revolutionaries and makes this clear in the repetition of the ??refrain: "A terrible beauty is born." The particular language he ??uses here illustrates his opinion on the dichotomy of the ??feelings the Easter Rising has provoked. With use of antinomy in ??his refrain " A terrible beauty is born" the words "terrible" and ?

"beauty" show the split of opinion on the subject of ??Nationalism. Yet another image of the oppositional ideas of the ??rebels is found in his image in the first stanza which talks of ??the rebels: "Coming with vivid faces/From counter or desk among ??grey/ Eighteenth-century houses." The poet may recognise the ??courage of the rebels but can also see no future for an Ireland ??torn apart by factions fighting for supremacy. There is also a ??hint at this in the line in the last verse: "For England may ??keep faith", which suggests that he feels that the rebels may ??have been too hasty and that the Home Rule Bill may have been ??Honoured by the British in the end.?

_ "_"_ __Yeats in the poem also shows that he is separate from the ??cause in his use of language especially in the first stanza. The ??diction he uses conveys an air of superiority on the part of the ??poet. As he himself admits to having: "met them at the close of ??day", but professes to have only exchanged: "polite meaningless ??words" with them. The whole tone of this verse is quite ??sneering and cynical and sees the poet "mocking" the rebels ??especially with the gibe about them wearing "motley" the ??traditional dress of Fools.?

_ "_"_ __Yeats is certainly no more complimentary in his descriptions _ <eth>7?3 _?S�?of the individuals involved in the rising. Constance Makievicz, ??is criticised for her "shrill" voice and her " ignorant good-??will". Yeats seems to see it as wrong that she has involved ??herself in the rebellion instead of carrying on with the ??traditional feminine pursuits that he seems to think she is ??eminently more suited to. Patrick Pearse and Thomas MacDonagh ??are also mentioned but they do not get a very harsh judgment ??passed upon them, MacDonagh is described as "sensitive" "daring",?

and "sweet". While MacBride is described as being a "Drunken ??vainglorious lout" this choice of diction probably also reflects ??the personal opinion of Yeats as he himself admits that he has ??"done most bitter wrong/To some who are near my heart", ??presumably Maud Gonne is the basis of this bitter outburst.?

_ "_"_ __This poem then seems to be one of contrasts in terms of its ??diction, imagery and form and in this way it is able to show the ??contrasting opinions that surround the issue of the Easter ??Rising. Much of the imagery is concerned with the oppositional ??nature of Ireland and its history of violence. This is ??particularly clear in the third verse, which is essentially one ??based around the imagery of nature, but also reflects the effects ??of the violence on that nature. The tone of the verse changes in ??the middle and after this the images of the verse become more ??jarring, and uncomfortable. The image of the "Enchanted stone" ??is also prominent in this stanza as the common image of the ??hearts of stone of the Nationalists is emphasised, particularly ??in the last line: "The stone's in the midst of all." ?

_ "_"_ __It is clear that many of the themes within the poem are ?_ <eth>7?3 _?S�illustrated through Yeats's particular attention to the specific ??use of form, diction and imagery. The ideas behind the poem are ??diverse and complex which means that the poem is therefore one ??that has many different tones and images in it that reflect these ??themes. In _Easter, 1916_ Yeats arguably tries to define the ??feelings both past and present that led to the Easter Rising, he ??also may be hinting at the future of Ireland in his enigmatic ?

phrase: "A terrible beauty is born".?

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_ H H !____BIBLIOGRAPHY.__?

Brown, T._ Ireland's Literature._ (Mullingar: Lilliput ??Press,1988.)?

Ellman,R. _The Identity of Yeats._ (London: Macmillan, 1954.)?

Finneran, R.(Ed.) _The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats._?

(London: Macmillan, [1983] 1993.)?

Wade, A.(Ed.) _The letters of W. B. Yeats._ (London: Rupert ?

Hart-Davis, 1954.)?

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