Yeats, "Easter Rising" and Irish Independence

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the poem "Easter Rising 1916" by William Butler Yeats and explains that the struggle for Irish independence is the central theme of the poem. The paper looks at how we can conclude from reading Yeats' poem that Yeats considered the efforts towards independence prior to the Easter Rising was too politicized and did not have enough social relevance. The paper points out that Yeats cites the apathy displayed by the public due to years of complacency as an issue that was not addressed effectively. The paper further points out that for Yeats, although the leaders of the rebellion may have had noble intentions, their actions lacked foresight which resulted to violence and the loss of lives including their own. The paper concludes that, for Yeats, independence can only be realized if there is a full understanding of its cost and when society is willing to practice libertarian ideas and not just talk about it.

From the Paper:

"Yeats counts himself among the people in society that practice the exchange of "Polite meaningless words" without having any real interests in other people in Ireland, as suggested by the line "lived where motley is worn" (Yeats line 8, 14). This view of society reflects Yeats' view that the Irish people have become used to their society and have become apathetic and uninterested with the concerns of their countrymen. He illustrates that social exchanges have become ritualized that neither affords the discussion of real issues whose sole purpose is for entertainment, to "please a companion", or to impress others (line 11)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Easter Rising 1916: From Home Rule to Independence". BBC Online. 13 November 2007. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/easterrising/>
• Yeats, William Butler. "Easter, 1916". Online Literature. 13 November 2007. <http://www.online-literature.com/yeats/779/>
• Townsend, Charles. Easter 1916: The Irish Rebellion. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2005

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