Ireland 1972 - A Fragment
Ireland 1972 - A Fragment
Eagle pyrning in a gyre,
Wings of azure, eyes of fire;
Cry the holocaust a'nearing.
The ghost of William Yeats is stirring.
Cry the fires of Ireland burning.
The ghost of William Yeats is turning.
Cry your cry, so agonizing.
The ghost of William Yeats is rising.
Cry the Irish heroes a'sleeping.
The ghost of William Yeats is weeping.
Echo the sounds of Ireland, dying.
The ghost of William Yeats is crying.
Cry with Yeats, poor Ireland's plight.
Cry the coming of the night.
Copyright (c) Spring 1972 James R. Hoye
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When I first posted "Ireland 1972 - A Fragment", it was suggested by DDGryphon and Saritams8 that I discuss it here, and I have to admit that I was hesitant to do so, because it is, after all, 34 years old, and I'm not at all sure how clearly I can remember all the elements that went into it's creation. nor do I think I can do so in the linear fashion suggested here
What inspired the poem? was rooted in an observation?
The inspiration was 2-fold. I, at that time, had just concluded a year and 1/2 of Grad School working towards a Masters in English, (and had dropped out over disillusionment with the emphasis on scholarship over teaching at that level), and had been focused on, (and immersed in), the Poetry of Yeats, Eliot, and Frost, as I considered them to represent the Pinnacle of English
Language Poetry, (with Yeats being my favorite).
I had long considered writing a tribute to each of them, and the unrest in Ireland had always been a major part of Yeat's life, (and the history of
Ireland), so I felt that any tribute to him should, at least, include such.
What was the origin of the theme or concept?
In 1972, Violence erupted in Northern Ireland with the events of "Bloody Sunday, (where British troops fired on Irish protesters who were parading without a permit), and which many thought would lead to civil war based on Religion (Catholic/Protestant), Politics, (Unionist, Republican Irish) and Historical, (Norman, Celt, English, and Native Irish) divisions, and, as I'm of Irish descent. (descented from a long line of O'Hoeys). It seemed a fine time to combine those current events with that long envisioned Tribute to Yeats.
why did you decide on certain imagery or metaphor?
Most of the imagery was borrowed from Yeat's himself as I considered that the best way to tie the poem to him. I decided on using a bird as the focal point, as such could overlook the land and provide an overview of what was happening, and I selected an Eagle, (as opposed to the Falcon which might have been more appropriate to Yeats), because the Eagle is equally fierce and far more majestic.
In refreshing my memory, in order to write this, I came across the fact that, when Yeat's wife began her automatic readings on his behalf, Yeats was characterized as an Eagle, (for his straight literal view of things), and his wife was compared to a butterfly (For her freedom of thought), and it may well be that, (as I had been studying The Vision" and all of Yeat's life in detail that recently), there was also a "subconscious" element in that choice.
I decided on using the image of Yeat's crying over Ireland because he was an Irish Patriot and involved in Ireland's struggles thoughout his life and it was obvious that the new outbreak would have distubed him greatly as he had long championed Irish unity.
The phrases "Pyrning" and "Gyre" occur often in Yeat's work, and I was fascinated with the visual image of the former, (as representing grace and beauty) and the latter, for the philisophical concept which reflected changing details in a repeating pattern in all forms of life. Moreover I included them both in a literal sense and as an allusion to Yeat's own works. (particularly as they had been concerned with Ireland's struggles.
The final lines were based on the concept that "Bloody Sunday" would actually bring a final conflict and end to Ireland as we knew it.
Why did you choose the form you used? what is the function of rhyme in it?
The form of rhymed couples was chosen so that packets of thought could be progressively grouped together and the tone was designed to reflect that of "The Second Coming", partly as another allusion and partly because that was one of the most powerful and effective of Yeat's poems.
Why did you decide on certain line-breaks, etc.?
I separated the couplets in order to place emphasis on each particular image and reinforce the concept of "progression".
Did you do any research (for instance, inclusion of a mythological reference might require some fact-checking)?
Because I had studied Yeats (and particularly his Poetry) so recently, little research was necessary, but I undoubtedly reviewed poems such as "Easter 1916", "Nineteen Hundred and Nineteen", "Meditations in Time of War" and of couse "The Second Coming" to get a feel for the "historical" conflicts that have filled Ireland's History.
What parts gave you the most difficulty?
Actually, none of what is written down, proved to be a problem once I got going because it flowed as easily as "Xanadu" is said to have done for Coleridge, but it was titled "a fragment", because, although it was complete, in and of itself, it was meant to be part of a larger poem that celebrated all of Yeat's life and Poetry. regrettably I never got back to it and the the remainder never got written.
I freely admit that many aspects might have been forgotten and/or misremembered in putting this together, although I hope this encompasses all that you would wish to know about this poem's construction, to the extent such can.
Jim Hoye