The Fisherman

‘The Fisherman’ by Yeats is describing his longing for a simple audience, rather than the intelligent and wealthy cultural Irish citizens he believed read his poetry. The poem is split into two stanzas, using simple language and rhyme to highlight to the reader of Yeats ideal person.

In the first stanza, Yeats refers to his perfect man as a fisherman. He describes the fisherman in great detail.”Gray Connemara clothes”. Even the colour Yeats has used highlights the fisherman’s simple life and existence. By making the character a fisherman, it suggests to us that Yeats wants his ideal audience to be skilful as he “cast his flies”, this being a difficult skill. Yeats also refers to the fisherman as being both “wise and simple”. By using this oxymoron, it suggests to us that Yeats wants his audience to be clever, to understand his poems but to also live life simply and not wanting much.

Yeats then describes the audience he has. He refers to how he hates the “living men” but loves the “dead man”. This links with ‘September 1913’ as Yeats condemns the Irish people but shows his deep love for “O’Leary” and “Romantic Ireland”. Yeats then mentions “a drunken cheer”. This links with Maud Gonne’s husband, Major John MacBride as Yeats mentions him in ‘Easter 1916’ with as a ”vainglorious lout”. This suggests to the reader that Yeats is still bitter from Maud Gonne not loving him and still torments himself over it. Yeats then begins to sound slightly arrogant as he mentions the word “commonest”.This suggests that Yeats is beginning to believe that he is better than some others or it could suggest that he thinks that the people of Ireland are nothing special.

In the last stanza, Yeats realises that the audience that he has isn’t the one that he desired, so he dreamt of a man that was exactly what he thought his ideal audience would be. “A man who does not exist, A man who is but a dream”.

Yeats then promises that he will change his writing to suit the common man, so they don’t lose their love of the arts.

Easter 1916

In class, we looked at the poem ‘Easter 1916‘ by W.B Yeats. I found it quite difficult to understand at first but I think I’ve got it now. So here we go…

‘Easter 1916’ is about the Easter Rising in Ireland, in 1916. The parliament in Ireland was abolished in 1800, with Great Britain now controlling Ireland. The Irish Republican Brotherhood was created to counter British rule, after Britain had declared war on Germany in September 1914, the IRB also convened. They decided that they would hold a rebellion after the war, they were that passionate about their cause that they were willing to accept help from Germany. They smuggled German weapons into Ireland in 1914. On April 211916, Britain became aware of the uprising that was about to take place. The British got to work quickly, arresting Sir Rodger Casement for running the IRB. Leaders of the IRB, such as Eion MacNeill, tried to stop the uprising but Pearse did not receive the message in time. The fighting lasted for a week; the rebels surrendered on April 29. The 15 leaders were then arrested and later executed. These men later became heroes and martyrs to their cause.

In ‘Easter 1916′ by W.B Yeats the poem reflects the point of view of flaneur (someone who walks in the city). The first line of the first stanza is “I have met them at the close of day” This makes the poem more personal and suggests that this is a personal experience and exposes us to Yeats’ intimate thoughts and feelings. Yeats puts himself into the poem and its like he is studying the faces of the people coming back from their jobs. “with vivid faces” This suggest to us that these people with “vivid faces” are the idealists or rebels who want to change the future of Ireland and how Ireland is run.

In ‘Easter 1916″ Yeats tells us that Ireland did not recognise the freedom fighters greatness. ” with a mocking gibe” This suggests that people did not admire them yet as they were just ordinary people, who went to work and not what people associate with ‘heroes’. Yeats also mocks them by calling the revolutionaries clowns.  “where motley is worn” This suggests that Yeats has little respect for them. At the end of the stanza, Yeats uses an oxymoron. ” A terrible beauty is born” This suggests that the cause is ‘terrible’ as it will cause mass bloodshed and hatred and yet ‘beautiful’ as it could unite Ireland to strive for independence.

The second stanza is an elegy to the fallen revoultionaries of the rising. “What women” this refers to Constance Markiewicz who was an Irish revolutionary, socialist, politician and suffragette. She belonged to the Irish Citizen Army and was ranked at lieutenant, allowing her to carry arms. During the Easter Rising she fought the British (along side her comrades) who only stopped fighting when the received a copy of the surrender order written up by Pearse. She was later sentenced to death, but it was later changed to life imprisonment. Although, the reader begins to wonder if Yeats likes this woman as he calls her “ignorant” also mentioning that she spends her “nights in argument”. Yeats also mentions that he remembers how sweet she was when she was young, before she became involved in the political cause. Yeats also suggests that he disapproves that  she got let out of execution as she was a woman, even though she fought in the war as well as the men.

In the second half of the stanza “this man” Yeats refeers too, is Patrick Henry Pearse, who was a supreme leader of the IRB. He helped plan the Easter Rising but surrendered to the British on April 29 1916. He was then executed by firing squad. Pearse was also a poet, teacher and a writer. The “winged horse” Yeats mentions, is Pegasus, the horse of the Muses, which Yeats thought would suit him well as he was a writer.

Yeats mentions “his helper and friend”. This refers to Thomas MacDonagh who was friends with Pearse (worked together in same school). MacDonagh was also a poet and a play-write. Also, being one of the leaders in the Easter Rising. He was arrested after he surrendered on April 30 1916. He was then executed (by firing squad) on May 3.

The final person that Yeats refers to is Major John MacBride who was the husband of Maud Gonne (the woman that Yeats obsessed over and loved very dearly). He was not part of the Irish volunteers but stumbled across the fighting and offered his help to the revolutionaries. He was later executed on May 5 by firing squad (refusing to wear a blindfold). Yeats refers to the alleged abuse that John MacBride inflicted upon Maud Gonne, during their relationship.”vainglorious lout”. This suggests to the reader that MacBride was a vain and brutish man. Although, Yeats still acknowledges that MacBride did die for the cause, even though he hates him he mentions that “he too resigned his part”. 

The third stanza of this poem focuses itself around nature. If you throw a stone into a river, you see ripples that the impact of the stone makes, disturbing the water. Yeats uses the idea that the revolutionaries did exactly the same thing. The stone represents the revolutionaries determination. Yeats also suggests by “stone” of the stone of destiny, suggesting that the revolutionaries were in fact, enchanted by the stone of destiny to disturb Ireland, creating havoc. Yeats also uses the image of “cloud to tumbling cloud” to represent the incoming Rising, Yeats also suggests this with “shadow of a cloud on a stream” this suggests of the incoming storm that the uprising will create.

In the next stanza, the meaning of the stone shifts, now meaning something hard. This suggests that the heart of Ireland has been taken over by the revolutionaries and turned to stone. This also suggests that the hearts of the Irish people have hardened because of the violence and hatred. “Too long a sacrifice can make a stone of the heart”.

Throughout this stanza Yeats questions if the deaths and the bloodshed though out this uprising was necessary. “O when may it suffice?” and “was it needless death after all?”. Using rhetorical questions to get the reader thinking.

Yeats does a final count of some of the dead revolutionaries, replacing Constance Markiewicz with James Connolly, who helped form the Irish Socialist Republican Party in 1896. He also fought in the Easter Rising, but was badly injured and developed gangrene from the wound. He was propped up against a chair and executed by firing squad. Yeats suggest that wherever “green is worn” the legacy and the spirit of the revolutionaries will live on, with themselves now being “the terrible beauty born”.