W.B. Yeats’ Opinion of War W.B. Yeats was an Irish poet during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. He wrote following the belief of “spiritus mundi”, the spirit of the universe and the collective unconscious or memory, which influences him to write around different mythologies, despite being a Christian. “Spiritus Mundi” leads to two of the works that reflect his opinion regarding war and conquest. Through these two works, “Leda and the Swan” and “The Second Coming,” Yeats’ opinion of war as a…
Throughout his short story “A Little Cloud,” James Joyce considers the ramifications of remaining sedentary in Dublin through his characters Little Chandler and Ignatius Gallaher. That Little Chandler and Gallaher seem so antithetical, despite their proximity and similar upbringings, invites the reader to question whether Joyce intends to insinuate that success is only possible outside of Dublin, and that ambition and Celtic nationalism are incongruous. Having left Ireland at twenty years old,…
“Icarus in Catechism Class,” a poem written by Dominador Ilio, revolves around the persona wanting to escape the catechism class that he is in. On the other hand, “Musée des Beaux Arts,” a poem written by WH Auden, shows how the “Old Masters” understand suffering as depicted in several artworks, especially Brueghel’s painting of the fall of Icarus, as seen by the persona in a mueseum. This close reading will focus on the importance of Icarus and how suffering is depicted in the poems. Making…
Seamus Heaney was a man who was born April 13, 1939 in Castledawson, a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Heaney was most well-known for being a great poet, but Heaney was more than just a poet. Heaney was also a translator, educator, and a critic. Heaney was a school teacher in Northern Ireland while in his mid-twenties. He had taught at universities like Oxford University and Harvard University. In addition to teaching at these highly respected universities, Heaney had also spent…
Fear the Faerie Folk Children have heard the stereotypical fairy tales from their elders for generations. Within each story falls certain characters- many of whom seem to share the same archetypal role. The maiden in distress, the clever trickster, the handsome and noble royal. One of these literary tropes is the use of a supernatural spirit- and this character changes depending heavily on where the story is being told as well as its influences. For many children coming from Celtic heritage, a…
William Butler Yeats was one of the most influential poets of the twentieth century; his works were inspiring and embraced a culture lost with the changing of times in Ireland. Yeats was born in the spring of 1865, to John Butler Yates and Susan Mary Pollexfen, during the time of the protestant ascendancy in Ireland; he was the oldest one of his three siblings. His father John, dissatisfied with his current standings, dropped out from law school to pursue a career as a painter and became a well…
William Butler Yeats was born in Dublin but moved from place to place. He spent the time of his childhood in County Sligo. In 1876, he moved with his father to London to pursue his father's career in art. WB Yeats moved back to Dublin and was educated there. He spent his summer in the west of Ireland in the family's summer house at Connaught. In 1917 Yeats, bought the Thoor Ballyle near Coole Park. He restored the Thoor Ballyle and he made it into his summer home. “The world is full of magic…
In his work When You Are Old, acclaimed Irish poet W.B. Yeats uses his mastery of the English language to deliver a warning to a lover, letting them know how sorry they are going to be someday that they didn’t return his love. By use of specific connotation, Yeats paints a detailed portrait of an imagined future moment in his lover’s life. When You Are Old is a warning to his lover: you may reject me now, but when you are close to death’s door you will remember and regret losing me. Despite…
Green Grass Running Water protagonist; Latisha experiences a personal journey to find her true identity. While undergoing her journey in attempt to discover the unique characteristics and beliefs she as an individual possesses, this character displays acts of heroism by facing challenging obstacles that are brought upon them throughout the novel. This is done through their actions as these characters present and exhibit qualities of independence, selflessness and generosity. Throughout the novel…
Just before the American Revolution, which began roughly in 1765 and ended in 1783, the attitudes of many colonists were those of dissatisfaction and disdain for the traditional British government. These would exacerbate future relations with Great Britain, fueling dissent. The earliest component of these anti-British sentiments was the French and Indian War. The war gave the colonists their first feeling of any political unity apart from Britain. Since it was the first war where the British…