Sailing, Poetry, and Culture - Introductory Assignment

This is a picture of a Galway Hooker. This type of boat originated in the village of Claddagh around the 18th century. The boat was used mainly for fishing but it was also used to transport various goods and supplies. Like most other sail boats, this type became obsolete with the creation of motors. From what I read about this type of boat, there are still a few of these boats around in Ireland but they are no longer used for fishing or transporting goods. They are now used for recreational and historical events. I chose this picture because I have always liked sail boats and I did not know about this particular type. I am very interested in what other types of boats the Irish have used throughout history and what they have looked like. I also hope that when we go to Ireland at the end of the semester I can see one of them and if possible, ride on one.

The Three Beggars
by William Butler Yeats

"Though to my feathers in the wet,
I have stood here from break of day.
I have not found a thing to eat,
For only rubbish comes my way.
Am I to live on lebeen-lone?'
Muttered the old crane of Gort.
"For all my pains on lebeen-lone?'

King Guaire walked amid his court
The palace-yard and river-side
And there to three old beggars said,
"You that have wandered far and wide
Can ravel out what's in my head.
Do men who least desire get most,
Or get the most who most desire?'
A beggar said, "They get the most
Whom man or devil cannot tire,
And what could make their muscles taut
Unless desire had made them so?'
But Guaire laughed with secret thought,
"If that be true as it seems true,
One of you three is a rich man,
For he shall have a thousand pounds
Who is first asleep, if but he can
Sleep before the third noon sounds."
And thereon, merry as a bird
With his old thoughts, King Guaire went
From river-side and palace-yard
And left them to their argument.
"And if I win,' one beggar said,
'Though I am old I shall persuade
A pretty girl to share my bed';
The second: "I shall learn a trade';
The third: "I'll hurry' to the course
Among the other gentlemen,
And lay it all upon a horse';
The second: "I have thought again:
A farmer has more dignity.'
One to another sighed and cried:
The exorbitant dreams of beggary.
That idleness had borne to pride,
Sang through their teeth from noon to noon;
And when the sccond twilight brought
The frenzy of the beggars' moon
None closed his blood-shot eyes but sought
To keep his fellows from their sleep;
All shouted till their anger grew
And they were whirling in a heap.

They mauled and bit the whole night through;
They mauled and bit till the day shone;
They mauled and bit through all that day
And till another night had gone,
Or if they made a moment's stay
They sat upon their heels to rail,,
And when old Guaire came and stood
Before the three to end this tale,
They were commingling lice and blood
"Time's up,' he cried, and all the three
With blood-shot eyes upon him stared.
"Time's up,' he eried, and all the three
Fell down upon the dust and snored.

`Maybe I shall be lucky yet,
Now they are silent,' said the crane.
`Though to my feathers in the wet
I've stood as I were made of stone
And seen the rubbish run about,
It's certain there are trout somewhere
And maybe I shall take a trout
but I do not seem to care.'

This poem was published in Responsibilities and Other Poems in 1916. I could not find out why Yeats wrote this poem but I do know that he had much experience with Irish folklore and children's tales. This poem could be based on an Irish children's story because it is a story in itself and it is meant to teach a lesson. It is also possible that Yeats made this story himself and wrote it in a format similar to that of children stories because that is what he is experienced in.

I read several poems before choosing this one to include in my post. Out of all the poems I read, this one stuck out the most in my mind so I chose it. I do not believe that this is one of Yeats more famous poems but I enjoyed it. I think that I just liked the story told in this poem more than any of the other stories told. I like poetry that tells a story. I am not a big fan of poems that that make you dig down to find the story that is buried beneath a lot of symbolism. This poem has some symbolism in it but unlike some of the other poems I have read in the past, it is not bogged down with it.

I am taking this course because foreign cultures have always intrigued me. I have taken several courses that focus on Western European cultures including German, Scandanavian, Icelandic, and Roman. All of them have been interesting and rather insightful. Ireland is also one of the few places I know almost nothing about. I see this class as a chance to learn about Irish history and culture and expand my knowledge of the world. I know a little about Ireland from my previous classes but those never focused on the Irish point of view. I hope this class will help me see events through an Irishman's eyes. For example, the Vikings dealt with the Irish on several occasions but I have never heard the Irish's point of view of the entire situation. In addition to this, I enjoy traveling and I have never been to Ireland. Because of this, when I found out there was a trip to Ireland planned, I jumped at the chace to go. I hear that the Irish landscape is wonderful and I really want to see it first hand along with the castles, sailboats, and architecture.