Irish Renaissance

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that many of the writers of the Irish Renaissance often memorialized the new nationalist sentiments arising in Ireland and the increased tensions between Ireland and Britain in their writings. The paper notes that the Irish Renaissance was both a renaissance of Irish themes and a reminder that Ireland was not a full country with full autonomy, creating a tension that many of the writers would explore in their works.

From the Paper:

"For example, William Butler Yeats is identified with the mythology of early Ireland, and his works feature the stories of the Irish hero Cuchulain in particular. This mythic background is part of what gives the poet his distinctive voice. At the same time, the poet often chafes against the mythology, as if the truths it shapes for him were false. Yeats made reference to other mythologies as well, notably those of the ancient Greeks and Romans, but he seemed less concerned with those references, perhaps because he knew that those mythic stories were better known to the world at large. He may have feared that his poetry was understandable only to the Irish and not to the world at large. Yeats expresses his love for his country and its people and does so in poetry that elevates nature while finding the other-worldly in that nature at the same time, which is often where the mythology enters as well."

More papers on Irish Renaissance:

• Analytical Essay # 58428 : "W.B. Yeats and the Irish Renaissance"
• Analytical Essay # 58259 : "Yeats: The Renaissance Man"
• Essay # 53412 : "Riverdance"

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