EASTER 1916 ************ Poem ********** W. B. Yeats

Easter 1916                                                                                                        W.B. Yeats

Easter 1916 is the most famous political poem of W.B. Yeats.  It is written to the memory of the fifteen rebels who rose in revolt against the British rule on Easter Monday 1916 in Dublin. He was a great lover of Irish literary Renaissance and the Irish National Theatre. He was also deeply interested in the freedom of Ireland and was drawn into it by John O Leary, the leader of the “Sin Finn” the freedom movement of Ireland. W. B.Yeats had written a poem titled “September 1913” in which he lamented the loss of the “Romantic Ireland” which is dead and gone; it’s with O’Leary in the grave”. This poem greatly inspired the people of Ireland and thus the Easter Rebellion took place. It was a pleasant surprise for the poet and he wrote this poem glorifying the heroic deeds of his countrymen.

Yeats’ poetry is characterized by its intense lyricism, its use of symbolism, its sensuous beauty, precision and realism. Many effective images and symbols are used in the poem such as  “Easter 1916” “All changed, changed utterly, a terrible beauty is born” “rode our winged horse” “motley is worn” “he too has resigned his part in the casual comedy”  “the stone in the midst of all”  “wherever green is worn” “polite meaningless words” are best examples.

  Before the rebellion, the poet had only contempt for the money-grubbing middle class people of Ireland because, the poet thought, they had no interest in the freedom struggle of their motherland. He thought of them mere fools or clowns in a play, making money and gossiping in the night clubs by the fireside. The poet used “polite meaningless words” to please them.  But the poet had to change his opinion after the Easter rebellion. So he wrote Easter 1916 in which he said “ All changed, changed utterly, A terrible beauty is born”.  The transformation is not only beautiful but also tragic and even shocking. It was far beyond his expectations. Every Irishman and woman has changed and become brave soldiers of the freedom struggle, sacrificing everything for their motherland.

In the second stanza of the poem Easter 1916, Yeats mentions the names of the martyrs and national leaders of the freedom struggle of Ireland.  Constance Gore Booth, Patrick Pearse, Thomas MacDonagh and Major John MacBride are the leaders who sacrificed their precious lives on the altar of the freedom struggle.  The sweet voiced lady became shrill voiced with heated political debates when she became a revolutionary.  Patrick Pearse, the president of the provisional Irish Republic is described as the “the one who rode our winged horse”. He was a teacher and a great poet.  Thomas MacDonagh was his helper who led the Dublin Brigade. He was a lecturer and poet. The last man is described with contempt. He is Major John MacBride.  The poet calls him a “a drunken vainglorious lout” because he married poet’s sweet heart Maud Gonne and ill-treated her. Still Yeats gives him a place in the poem only because “he too changed his part and became a freedom-fighter. Here also the poet uses the paradoxical refrain “All changed, changed utterly, a terrible beauty is born”.  At the same time the poet does not praise them blindly. On the other hand, the poet is impartial in his out look.

While narrating the events that lead to the Easter rebellion, Yeats says that the hearts of the Irish people were “enchanted to a stone” and they were all united with one purpose alone. It is the freedom of their motherland-Ireland. They all decided to fight for the freedom of Ireland. It changed the smooth flow of the Irish life. It is compared to a silently flowing river and the stone is suddenly thrown into it, splashing muddy water. The stone symbolizes the united hard work of the rebels. The image of the stone is contrasted with the images of the peaceful, silent stream, the horse, the rider, the birds and the long legged moor hens.

Finally Yeats thinks of the unexpected turn of events. The Easter rebellion was crushed by the British. Yeats says that many years of sufferings can harden the human heart.  Ireland had suffered too long. Only God can tell when their sufferings will be over. Now the Irish motherland is weeping on the death of her brave children. She is sitting beside the dead bodies of her children calling their names one by one. The poet asks himself whether it was a nightmare and he answers that it is not a nightmare but death itself. Yeats again thinks it is a needless death because Britain will keep its promise when the First World War is over. The Irish rebels had a great dream- the freedom of their motherland and they had too much love for their motherland which forced them to die for their country. Yeats declares that the Irish patriots such as Mac Donagh, MacBride, Connoly and Patrick Pears will be remembered for ever by the Irish people. With their death, a terrible beauty is born to Ireland.

Annotate the following:-

Being certain that they and I

But lived where motley is worn:

All changed, changed utterly:

A terrible beauty is born.           Answer: 1^st para & 2^nd paragraph of the essay.

This other man I had dreamed

……………Yet I number him in my song. Ans:1^st & 3^rd para.

The long-legged moor-hens dive

……..The stone in the midst of all.   Ans: 1^st & 4^th para.

No, no, not night but death;

……..For all that’s done and said; Ans. 1^st & 5^th para.

Essay: Discuss Easter 1916 as a patriotic poem.

Kjt/8-12-2012