Preassignment ramblings

New Ireland and old Eire all in one... the past, present and future of Ireland... the picturesque combined with the practical... viewing how Ireland is really caught inbetween two worlds... How to reconcile the two?


"Into The Twilight"

Out-worn heart, in a time out-worn,
Come clear of the nets of wrong and right;
Laugh, heart, again in the gray twilight,
Sigh, heart, again in the dew of the morn.

Your mother Eire is always young
Dew ever shining and twilight gray;
Though hope fall from you and love decay,
Burning in fires of a slanderous tongue.

Come, heart, where hill is heaped upon hill:
For there the mystical brotherhood
Of sun and moon and hollow and wood
And river and stream work out their will;

And God stands winding His lonely horn,
And time and the world are ever in flight;
And love is less kind than the gray twilight,
And hope is less dear than the dew of the morn.

W.B. Yeats (1865-1939)

I have had this poem saved on my computer for quite some time. I don't know what website I found it on originally; I only remember that it was placed in concordance with other poems and stories the website used to describe fairies and other magical characters. However, I looked up the author and discovered that he is an Irish poet and dramatist who won the 1923 Nobel Peace Prize and is often considered the greatest poet of his time. He is also known for his leadership of the Irish Literary Revival, a movement of the late 1800s and early 1900s responsible for generating fresh interest in traditional Irish literature. (I do not know which of his publications this poem happens to appear in.)
I was struck by this poem because the descriptive language Yeats uses evokes the unique perception of Ireland as a country caught between worlds. Though Irish culture is firmly rooted in its historical and mythological background, I am struck by the idea of the very same culture attempting to come to terms with the twenty-first century while still maintaining its long-established traditions. The more I read about Irish culture, the more I recognize how difficult such a process must be - trying to share one's culture without distorting or changing it so that the world does not receive a skewed and incorrect understanding of where such a culture comes from and the history/tradition it is based upon. I also feel like Yeats is trying to point out that Ireland (Eire) is representative of a purity which can only be found when one casts off the ugliness of the world at large. In short, it is like a "shining beacon" which calls one home.


As soon as I saw the email describing this course, I knew I wanted to take it. I have a very slight Irish heritage somewhere among my family mix, so I have always wanted to learn about that part of my background. Likewise, as a child I did extensive reading of literature based on Irish culture/myths and more recently hunted down several collections of Irish folklore and mythology to try and better understand the concepts I came across as a child. Moving beyond influences of the past, I have quite simply always been fascinated with anything Irish, from the country down to the way people dress, talk to each other, and go about their daily lives. Ireland is a country with a rich heritage that is peopled with influence from all walks of life and from all times. I hope that sometime in my future I will be able to travel to Ireland, as well as other countries, and be able to devote time toward fully experiencing and participating as best I can in a culture that is so different from the one I have grown up in.