Group 1's members include... Kerin Dalton, Amy Bloesch, Rani Son, Liam Ferguson
During the late 19th and early 20th century, an influx of Irish literature, poetry, and art surfaced. This was known as the Irish Literary Revival. Influenced by great minds such as W.B Yeats, this revival enhanced the history of Ireland and gave new nationalistic pride to its writers as well as citizens (Weygandt 1-2). This was the catalyst that continued to support the idea of an independent Ireland. Without this, Ireland would have remained in the dark ages with a failing government as well as people. This advanced era for great minds shows an Irish culture never before seen.
The history of the Irish Literary revival during the 19th century starts with W.B Yeats. His influence of poetry during this time is a dominant representation of his prowess (Menon 2). The Stolen Child is a masterpiece of poetry written by Yeats at only 21 which is the most famous in his first collection, this was also a catalyst for others to contribute like Thomas Davis. Along with that the emergence of a strong patriotism towards Ireland was born as “Patriotism by itself cannot create great poetry; much less aggressive nationalism” (Menon 3). Attempting to find its own identity, Ireland persevered through the Easter Rising and their fight for independence during the First World War. It was Yeats who described this time best before Independence by saying “Romantic Ireland’s dead and gone sounds old-fashioned now, It sounded fine in 1913, but I did not foresee 1916” (Menon 8).
The Easter Rising was an attempt at making those in power hear the pleas from the citizens of Ireland. During the rebellion, Yeats wrote to fellow authors Lady Gregory and John Quinn talking about his personal feelings towards what had happened through a poem called “Easter 1916” (Foster 1-2). In this, Yeats’ importance during this historical day is highlighted in order to reiterate the importance of one’s opinion in their government (Foster 2). In just three years’ time, Ireland began fighting against British rule and in 1922 became a completely separate country from England.
The poetry of Yeats and plays like Playboy of the Western World by J.M. Synge are synonymous with the people’s interpretations of who they are and what they want to be. Today, the country was the first to legalize gay marriage by popular vote. The strides that Ireland has gone to protect its citizens and allow all people to enjoy the culture and live happily is immense. Independence was achieved through the actions of the people and enhanced by the great minds of the Irish Literary Revival. Across the globe, these pieces of literature and poetry have intertwined stories such as the Israelites of Erin which talks about Israelites being liberated from captivity in Egypt. As well as the Irish Dramatic Revival, explains the Abbey theatre’s birth influenced people like Yeats and Lady Gregory’s own diction through their works. Insights like these are ideal for clearly engaging readers in the culture of Ireland’s independence worldwide.
The Irish Dramatic Revival 1899-1939
by
The Irish Dramatic Revival 1899-1939
by
Israelites in Erin
by
Israelites in Erin
by