Writing ‘Making Ireland’s Poetry’
Purpose: I write a lot of historical fiction stories set in Scotland, but have always wanted to learn enough of the culture and mentality to try my hand at one of Ireland. After brainstorming and reading Yeats’ Easter 1916 I decided to do a little research on the event and immediately fell in love with the spirit and the players. Perhaps it was a bit of Scotland’s revolution against the English in the eighteenth century that fueled my dislike of the English enough to write this, but for whatever reason, I found it an exciting and delightful experience to learn and write and explore a side of my own history as the Brothers Pearse and the others are so dependant upon theirs.
Research: The majority of research was done online, though a few encyclopedias and such contributed facts. The more I read, the more I fell in love with the spirit and especially Padraig and William. I began the story with William as main character, the younger, weaker, sensitive lad who in my view observed from his brother’s shadows but still held the same ideals. I finished the first paragraph, then began to research and by the time I was done reading I was half done writing and more in love with them than ever. A lot of Irish songs (including Connolly’s!) contributed to the inspiration and learning process. Through research I also learned how important art and poetry is to the Irish culture and in my opinion, its music and stories and history contributed a lot to the initial revolution and what was to follow. My only downfall is that I was unable to capture the Irish accent and dialect as much as I would have liked. It took me a year to learn the variations and intricacies of the Scottish dialect, and I’m sure it would take much longer for the different Irish ones.
Technique: Each skip between times has a poetry reference in between. Many are Yeats’, some are from various other poets and their range and eloquence I hope sets off the action of the story and event well. I did it to mix the essence of Irish literature into this story, to show how integral words are to sparking emotions both back in 1916 and now in reading them in this context. In research I found many, many I could have used, and it was difficult to decide what felt right where. I would have liked to include words in letters to wives and family after some of the other men died. But as I focused mainly on the Brothers Pearse and their passions, gifts and relationship in context with the story, I decided to focus on them. Padraig’s poem Mother was what I originally wanted to end with… ending with what remained after all the death. But as I wrote, I realized there was much more than emotions of a mother that was left. These men who are dear to my heart influenced a nation that is still at war and at peace, striving for truth in politics and equality and religion. Just as their education and the learning of their background and culture influenced them, so did Ireland’s peoples learn from the brothers. And so have I learned from both.
Analysis: I hope I was able to portray the players in even a slightly accurate manor. What I am most excited about upon finishing this story which took so many of my emotions and really got me interested in my heritage for the first time, is how the poetry sets this story off. I started with a Yeats quote/poem that expresses his views on war initially, and then throughout with others, I shaped emotions. Then by the end, we see Yeats’ views on this event have changed, enough for him to actually write a poem about it, and acknowledge them as heroes, as more than heroes. In this way, it shows that just as Irish culture and poetry change events, events can change poetry.
My favorite part of writing this was when I was rereading Easter, 1916 and I came upon the section about the teacher with a sensitive nature and I knew suddenly that Yeats was describing Padraig. I was hesitant to look to be sure for a long while, scared that it might not be. It was so perfect in describing the man I had pictured that I did not want it to be anyone else. Finally, I got up courage and researched it and saw that it was indeed Padraig. I have never been so excited when reading poetry as to find Yeats’ words truly coming to life for me. I screamed and laughed and was quite proud of it.
To note further, I completed this story on May 3rd and 4th, which are the days that Padraig and Willie Pearse (respectively) were shot. I had not intended it to be so, and did not realize it until I’d reached the end around midnight. But the words of my last paragraph and throughout as I read through to edit had much more of a significance as I realized it happened exactly 85 years ago to this date. Rather eerie, but perhaps destined to be.
The following story is a
fictional retelling of non-fictional events that deserve to be retold.
References:
All about the G.P.O. URL: http://www.patricksdaycards.com/funstuff/thegpo.html,
Patrick’s
Day Cards.com.
Easter 1916 History. URL: http://www.rootsweb.com/~fianna/history/east1916.html,
Fianna
Webmaster Team, 1998-2000.
Joyce, James. Dubliners.
New York: Dover Publications Inc, 1991.
Liberation of
Ireland. URL: http://www.iol.ie/~dluby/history.htm,
Ireland on the Web,
2001.
Moran, Sean Farrel. Patrick Pearse
and the Politics of Redemption. Washington DC:
Catholic
University of America Press, 1994.
The Proclamation of Independence of
Ireland. URL:
http://www.advinc.com/%7Etmd/procl.html
Postcards: Easter 1916. URL:
http://www.islandireland.com/Pages/history/archives/easter.html, island Ireland.
Synge, John Millington. Riders to the Sea. Project Guttenberg, 1999.
Yeats, W.B. Selected Poems and Four Plays. New York: Scribner Paperback Poetry,
1996.
Songs which lent feeling, emotion and inspiration:
