Date of Award
2014
Document Type
Thesis
Department
English
First Reader
Dr. Johnny Wink
Second Reader
Dr. Hal Bass
Third Reader
Professor Ian Cosh
Abstract
The mythology of Ireland is millennia old, birthing a poetic tradition that has endured with the nation. This presentation explores how important Ireland's mythological heritage has been to its people, sustaining their fighting spirit during foreign invasions, political instability, and conflicts with England. The work if William Butler Yeats, in particular, embodies the struggles between the Protestant Ascendancy and the native Irish; Christianity and paganism; the Gaelic poetic tradition and newer English literature; and the push for peaceful independence negotiation versus the radical revolutionary movements inspired by ancient heroes. His life and poetry serve as a lens that brings the expanse of Ireland's tumultuous history into focus.
Recommended Citation
Wakeling, Anna, "The Call of the Sidhe: Poetic and Mythological Influences in Ireland's Struggle for Freedom" (2014). Honors Theses. 234.
https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/honors_theses/234
Included in
Celtic Studies Commons, European History Commons, European Languages and Societies Commons, Literature in English, British Isles Commons