Quarantine And My Country In Darkness By Eavan Boland

Major historical events often inspire authors to produce works of literature that capture the essence of the time period. Eavan Boland, a popular Irish author, has produced many works of literature that shed light on both history and culture. Born in 1944 in Dublin, Ireland, Boland was the daughter of a diplomat and a painter. At a young age, Boland and her family moved to England, where she was rejected by many people because of her Irish background. Her struggle to gain acceptance sparked an even stronger appreciation for her heritage, inspiring her to write about her country. As Deirdre O 'Byrne, a literary analyst said about Boland, “Her poems speak with a voice which is defiantly female and defiantly Irish,” (O’Byrne). Eavan Boland’s works such as “Quarantine” and “My Country in Darkness” greatly reflect the hardships Ireland has faced. The harsh, cold tone Eavan Boland uses throughout the poem mirrors the tone of Ireland during the time of The Great Famine. Because potato crops ceased to flourish, much of Ireland was left starving, poor, and disease ridden. In addition to famishment, the Irish were also under the thumb of the British, …show more content…
The theme of the poem is that love does not have to be romantic; it can be shown through the support one gives to their loved one in a difficult time. Boland writes, “But her feet were held against his breastbone. The last heat of his flesh was his last gift to her,” (Boland, line 11-12). The theme of love shows how families leaned on one another during Ireland’s dark time. Like O’Byrne comments on the couple, “They become emblematic of the suffering of their nation under colonialism,” (O’byrne). Although the poem is essentially a story about one couple, the couple represents the entire population of Ireland. Boland’s theme of love is used to show the way families stood by each other during the potato