The thieving, venomous old merchant wrenched
the torch from Lady Liberty’s grasp, clenched
her breast in gnashing teeth, and set alight
our Constitution, then our Bill of Rights.
Diane G. Martin, The Blazing World
An incisive critique of the tyrannous reign of Trump in the USA! His description as a “thieving, venomous old merchant” strikes me as particularly apt, while the aggressiveness of establishmental patriarchy is captured by an effective combination of enjambment and cacophony, such as the growling and harsh consonances of ‘r’ and ‘ch’. The gradual disintegration of the rhymes conveys the ultimately self-destructive nature of intolerant society in a clever way. I also admire the creative perversion of maternal breastfeeding, with the breast “clenched ... in gnashing teeth”. A depressing poem, but rightly so! ;^(
Poetic Patriarchy in Ireland — Part I: Poetry Against Women
It is no secret that poetry offers a plethora of positive effects, be they as extreme as bringing someone out of depression or as simple as putting a smile on their face. Poetry has done a world of good for me and I would not be devoting so much of my spare time to it if it did not. However, we must acknowledge the fact that on multiple occasions in the past, poetry has shaped our world in a decidedly negative way. This can be seen clearly in the history of Ireland and the rights of women there. This blessay will cover how poetry led to the oppression of Irish women and will additionally give an overview of the female poets in Irish history. It will thus answer the oft-asked question, namely — why is the vast majority of Ireland’s internationally-renowned poets male? In my research I have not been able to find an essay exploring this question; I am thus honored to be the first.
During Celtic times, Irish women had more or less equal rights with men. There were many famous female role models for young girls and boys to look up to; these included the legendary queen Méabh and pagan goddesses such as Mórrígan. Unfortunately, the poems that would have been told during this time period were never written down, so we do not know how women were portrayed in them. It is probable that they would have been portrayed positively, considering the equality of gender roles present in that society.
Literacy reached Ireland in the fifth century and came alongside Christianity. While Christianity is often critiqued for its portrayal of women, Christian women in Ireland then were just as strong as their male counterparts. St. Brigid of Kildare is one of the most important women in Irish history; she was a nun — a profession usually associated with conservative tradition. Yet the teachings of the bible didn’t restrict her from being strong and independent. In fact, St. Brigid was close friends with one of Ireland’s first poets - Dubthach maccu Lugair. Dubthach and the other poets of the time were overwhelmingly not sexist. One of the most notable works of early Irish poetry is the prosimetrum by Táin Bó Cuailnge. The first recensions in this beautifully written collection are in celebration of Queen Méabh; she is treated as an equal — if not a superior — to her husband. Other strong female characters follow her, including the sovereignty goddess Macha, the villainous Morrígan, and Gráinne, who shows great power in her taking control of her own sexuality. These are only some of the most notable women to feature in these poems; were I to list them all, it would take all day!
In those days, composing poetry was one of the most lucrative professions in Ireland. This was due to the many kings across Ireland employing personal poets, known as ollams. These ollams were required to have hundreds of original poetic stories ready upon request for the king. What a shame that so many of these doubtlessly great pieces of work have been lost forever! These poems celebrated Irish royals, Biblical figures and figures from Celtic Mythology, including the strong women from each of these sources. My favourite piece is the poetic narrative An Banshenchas, written in 1147 by Gilla Mo Dutu Úa Caiside. This is the ultimate piece of feminist writing from the bardic period of poetry; it celebrates many notable women, from what the author considered to be the beginning of time with God’s Eve up to 1030 with Gormlaith ingen Murchada, a queen who stood as a symbol between the relationship of the native people of Ireland and the Viking settlers. This is not a celebration of one type of woman — we see so many different personalities and characterisations, from the somewhat passive Miriam to the perseverant and powerful Étaín. There is truly a woman in this collection for anyone to relate to, which is a testament to the feminist nature of a poem written 990 years ago in supposedly sexist times!
The most prestigious position a poet could get in this period of time would be Ollamh Érenn, or the Chief Ollam of Ireland. They would sit next to the high king of the country and be commended by all. Out of all of the documented ones, a single woman held the title — Uallach ingen Muinecháin. Since she was the first famous Irish female poet, one would think that her work would be taught to all, yet none of it survives. Were it not for her obituary in the Annals of Innisfallen, this trailblazer would have been forgotten entirely.
But ollams were not the only type of poets around; they were in fact only one subset of the poetry grouping known as filid. The type of filid that is best known today is a bard. Bards were actually the lowest position a poet could take, but the word has become synonymous with poet in the context of Ancient Ireland. Ancient Irish poetry is commonly referred to as bardic poetry, even by many scholars, despite the term's inaccuracy. It is often stated that it is unknown if any of these bards were female (Walker, 1786). However, the previously mentioned Muinech and Sadhbh Ó Mailchonaire are two factual exceptions. As with Muinech, Ó Mailchonaire’s works has been lost and the most famous record of her is her obituary. (Unknown, 1447) There are also some other potential candidates as ancient Irish poets, although once again these women’s works do not survive to this day. Agnes Carkill was a poet who performed for King James IV of Scotland in 1512 and there is speculation that she hailed from the Antrim family, Mac Fhergail, which would have been her maiden name (Bourke, 2002). Walker who spent years researching bards, speculates that the Caoine was written by a woman; most scholars agree with this opinion. The Caoine is a weeping lament, which was performed by women at funerals; its practice has spread from Ireland as far as Libya and Egypt. It is best known today for being the origin of the banshee myth. Women were also associated with the poetic form amhráin, which is a poem that’s sung, a practice which became prominent in the 16th century. It is also possible that many of the anonymous poems were written by women, especially since many of these poems feature distict feminist undertones, such as the spectacular St. Brigid’s Prayer which has since been translated by Brendan Kennelly.
It is also worth mentioning fictional female poets who appeared in ancient Irish stories. One of the characters who appears in Acallam na Senórach, the longest surviving work of medieval Irish literature, is Créide. She is described as a fine poet who invites males to a hostel in order to judge their poems. Créide is one of the first fictional poetry critics, but unfortunately she is not celebrated to the extent that she deserves to be. The Daughter of úa Dulsaine appears in a story by Cormac mac Cuilennáin (who died in 908), where she is one of the most popular poets in Ireland and travels around the country and abroad to show off her poetic prowess. Some suggest that this account is based off a true story and mac Cuilennáin just added the fantasy elements (Nicholson, 2016).
Another feminist fact about Ancient Irish poetry is that what we know today was as alliteration was named after women. It was referred to as “brichtu ban, brechtaib ban”, which roughly translates as “charms of women”. (Stifter, 2016) This technique is found in almost all surviving bardic poetry from its inception to its end. I do find it odd that such a prevalent term was named after women’s ability to speak in an enchanting manner, and yet that this very same society supposedly would not let these women write their hypnotic words down.
Compared to other countries Ireland has quite a lot of surviving poetry, but it’s only a small selection of what was written at the time. Many recorded works of poetry were destroyed in 686 AD after the Saxons raided Ireland, and again in 798 AD when the Vikings settled. Their cultures were more sexist than that of the Celts and their prejudice might be another reason why there are so few works that are credited to a woman from this period. The Saxons and Vikings were not completely able to destroy Celtic culture and bardic poetry, however, despite their best efforts; the bardic tradition managed to continue for hundreds of years after their arrival.
Poetry in Ireland began to shift during its Tudor conquest between 1529 and 1603. Queen Elizabeth brought the first English poets over to Ireland as she was claiming land, one of the most famous examples being Sir Walter Raleigh. This sexist poet’s writings did not have much influence on the Emerald Isle; in fact, in Éirinn he is most notable for the assumption that he planted the first potato in Ireland, even though this is pure speculation and it is far more likely this was done by a Spanish man or woman. (McNeill, 1949)
After England conquered the country in 1601 and Hugh O’Neill surrendered, bardic schools began to shut down. One of Ireland’s most infamous literary controversies — the Contention of the Bards — occurred during this time period. The bards attacked each other through verse, and it brought the end to their influence on the country. Bards were now just known as poets and it was becoming rare for poetry to be one's full-time occupation. Since there were no more kings, poets had to adapt and find patronage from the English settlers. Most of these settlers wanted their poems in English, not Irish, and thus a shift in language began to occur. Many refused to take part in it as it interfered with their Catholic beliefs; those wealthy enough migrated to Catholic countries in continental Europe to study poetry in college. Unfortunately, no one would fund these poor Catholic writers, so almost all of their work has been lost. As Protestant England was an extremely sexist society (even when it was ruled by a queen, ironically), women were discouraged from becoming poets as well.
The harsh Penal Laws put in place in Ireland by England forbade the teaching of the Irish language and poetry to Catholics. To circumvent this people pretended (often unsuccessfully) to be Protestant, or else taught children in secret 'hedge schools'. Hedge schools kept the tradition of Irish poetry alive, but if people were caught teaching in them or being secret poets they were arrested and punished. In Cork in 1584, 71 men an 1 woman were arrested. She was named Mary-ny-Dononoghue and dubbed by the presentation to the jury as “she-barde” and “rhymer”.
Before we get into the bleak sexism, I’d like to bring up two notable female poets who existed in the 17th and 18th centuries: Mary Monck and Charlotte Brooke. Both women come from wealthy backgrounds and married rich men, so they were able to avoid punishment as a result. Monck was multilingual and spoke English, Latin, Italian and Spanish. Many of her works can be found in the 1775 collection Poems by Eminent Ladies, which is definitely worth a read. Unfortunately for some reason in this collection Monck is miscredited as Mrs. Monk! Brooke was homeschooled by her father, who was also a writer. She was interested in the Irish language and became bilingual through hours of study. She not only wrote poems, but translated them too; yet despite being just as talented as her male counterparts, if not more, she was never accorded the same respect as them. Her poetry is rich in storytelling and employs a multitude of techniques, including an effective application of the most obvious ones: rhyme, repetition and rhythm. Monck is also very skilled in her writing; we will discuss possible reasons for why they have been forgotten by history later.
We see the first signs of widespread sexist poems in Ireland during this time frame. Epithalamia made their way to Eirinn in the writings of Dáibhí Ó Bruadair. While epithalamia in theory do not have to be sexist, almost all of the ones written during these times treated the women as inferior to men. There is also the establishment of poetry circles that would only allow male members; the most notable of these was Seán Ó Tuama’s and Andrias MacRait’s Maigue Poets. (Joyce, 1961)
Aodhagán Ó Rathaille’s aisling was invented in this time period and it constitutes one of the most uncomfortable forms of poetry I have ever witnessed. Aislings are set in dreams where women appear to the poet; often the woman appearing in such a dream is an anthropomorphic depiction of Ireland. This poetic brought the Mother Ireland concept into popular culture. Filmmaker Pat Murphy summed up it best when describing Mother Ireland in an excellent 1991 documentary about that subject: “[Mother Ireland] is not a positive image, the associations I have with it are not positive ones, I actually think it’s a wrong thing to do – to call a country after a woman – because it gets into those kind of areas where a country is to be won, or penetrated, or ploughed. And it means that women aren’t seen for themselves”. (Crilly, 1991)
Unfortunately, the concept of Mother Ireland did not stop at one poem; it was featured in several of Ó Rathaille’s aislings, as well as aislings written by other men. The concept transcends the aisling form and poets such as Thomas Moore began writing poems about Mother Ireland. The most notable of his poems about this oppressive concept is The Origin of the Harp, which inspired an equally sexist painting by Daniel Maclise in the 19th century. Even Roisin Dubh, which was an innocent poem about a man being in love with a woman, was weaponised by Owen Roe Mac Ward and turned into a poem about Mother Ireland. It has been widely sung by masses since the 18th century, unknowingly (or not) oppressing millions of women.
Well Tikki Troops, that was a lot to take in for part one, was it not? I decided split this blessay into parts because I did not want to overwhelm you all! The next blessay will cover 19th century poetry up today; despite covering a much shorter period, there are more poems that exist in its time frame. How will Irishwomen combat this Mother Ireland archetype — or will they at all? How will the most famous Irish poets, including Becket, Joyce, Heaney, Wilde and Yeats fit into this narrative? You’ll find out next time! But be patient with me as I try to perfect part two. :^)
Bibliography
Bourke, A. (2002) The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing. NYU Press.
Cahill, S. E. (1983) ‘Reexamining the acquisition of sex roles: A social interactionist approach’, Sex Roles, 9(1), pp. 1–15. doi: 10.1007/BF00303105.
Collins, G. and Wickham, J. (2004) ‘Inclusion or Exploitation? Irish Women Enter the Labour Force’, Gender, Work & Organization, 11(1), pp. 26–46. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-0432.2004.00219.x.
Conroy, A. and Dickinson, T. (2018) ‘Male adolescent suicidality: a literature review’, Mental Health Practice, 21(8), pp. 50–55. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2018.e1293.
Crilly, A. (1991) Mother Ireland [Documentary Film]. Aired on Channel 4, U.K.
Hanlon, N. (2015) ‘The Role of Men in Gender Equality_Eire Report’. doi: 10.13140/RG.2.1.2011.5369.
History of the Potato (no date). Available at: https://www.potato.ie/history-of-the-potato/ (Accessed: 20 March 2020).
Joyce, M. (1961) ‘The Poets of Maigue’. The Capuchin Article.
McNeill, W. H. (1949) ‘The Introduction of the Potato into Ireland’, The Journal of Modern History, 21(3), pp. 218–222.
Meaney, G. (1991) Gerardine Meaney Sex and nation : Women in Irish Culture and Politics. ARTIC PRESS.
Morrison, T. G., Speakman, C. and Ryan, T. A. (2009) ‘Irish university students’ support for the human rights of lesbian women and gay men’, Journal of Homosexuality, 56(3), pp. 387–400. doi: 10.1080/00918360902728871.
Nicholson, T. (2016) A Biography of Story, A Brief History of Humanity. Troubador Publishing Ltd.
Owens, R. C. O. (1984) Smashing Times: The Irish women’s suffrage movement 1889-1922. ARTIC PRESS.
Patterson, R. A. (2015) ‘Women of Ireland: Change Toward Social and Political Equalityin the 21st Century Irish Republic’. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20151008154655/https://martindale.cc.lehigh.edu/sites/martindale.cc.lehigh.edu/files/Patterson.pdf (Accessed: 9 December 2019).
Stifter, D. (2016) ‘Metrical systems of Celtic traditions’, North-Western European Language Evolution 1983 & University Press of Southern Denmark, p. 58.
‘The Present Duty of Irishwomen: The Contribution of Irish Women as documented in the Archival Record’ (2016). Irish Archives Source.
Unknown (1447) ‘Annála Connacht’. Walker, J. (1786) Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards. Dublin: Printed for author, by L. White.
These poems are 'Irish' for having been written by poets from Ireland, but also in that they capture something central to Irish identity. The selection is wide due to the sheer diversity of Irish culture, as well as the nation's rich history! ;^)
1. Moyra Donaldson - Nest
While the masses will often refer to actors born in the Northern Ireland who identify as Irish as such, the same luxury is not given to poets. Poor Donaldson is often misidentified as British, so I had to include her in my Irish pweek! This poem discusses both the beauty of horses and their unmatched loyalty. The horse in this poem is abandoned by its owner and waits in the same spot until their death — a haunting image indeed. This image is a clever metaphor for British people not being interested in the Irish who suffered terribly under their rule. Let this poem be a warning that we all need to take care of that which we are responsible for!
My horse is waiting,
Bright and patient,
His skin sunlight
And his breath air
Amongst the moss
His bones are white and dry
2. Eva Gore Booth - The Eternal Rebel
Gore Booth is the sister of one of Ireland’s most famous women in history — Countess Constance Markievicz. While Markievicz took to the streets to fight for what she believed in, Gore Booth performed her activism through poetry. This is a deeply sad poem about soldiers being haunted by past demons and their injuries; Gore Booth ensures that these people are not forgotten and reminds us that their cause of eventual peace was more than worthy.
Free soul of fire, break down their chains and bars,
Drive out those unclean phantoms of the brain,
Till every living thing be friends again,
And our lost earth true comrade to the stars.
3. Brendan Kennelly - Begin
I consider this beautifully uplifting poem especially suited for the list because I wanted to include an entry featuring swans, the importance of which in Irish mythology and culture cannot be overstated. While I thought about including a poem about the classic Irish myth of The Children of Lír for this slot, I realized that it would not be fair to ignore this already-great poem with swans in it. Kennelly describes the birds perfectly, realising that they are graceful from a distance but that up close they can be quite rude animals. They often do not travel in groups and they do not seem able to communicate with other species. Swans are rarely included in poems about everyday Irish life so it is nice to see Kennelly break from normativity! ;^)
Begin to the pageant of queuing girls
the arrogant loneliness of swans in the canal
4. Gofraidh Fionn Ó Dálaigh - A chláirsioch Chnuic Í Chosgair
I simply had to include a poem in ancient Gaelic on this list; it is one of the most beautiful languages that I know, which is really saying something. This poem is equally beautiful and discuses how harps are superior to other instruments. This poet from the 14th century takes their time in detailing all that the national instrument of Ireland has managed to accomplish — including keeping them from committing sins!
A bháthadh gacha croinn chiúil,
a chrann taitneamhach taidhiúir,
a chomhnaidhi eidir chloinn gCoinn,
a chroinn donnbhuidhi dhíoghainn
5. Uinsionn Ó Domhaill - An deoch is fearr
Modern Irish is as under appreciated as the ancient Gaelic, so I wanted to include both. Luckily I speak both language fluently so had a wide range of options to chose from. I found this cute poem about tea by the skilled modern writer Ó Domhaill to be perfect for our pweek; I chose tea over whiskey as both are national drinks of Ireland and one is clearly superior to the other. ;^)
Cupa tae,
Is maith liom é,
Am ar bith,
I rith an lae.
6. Seamus Heaney - The Early Purges
Loyal Tikki Troops will understand that I simply had to include Heaney this week. This poem describes the brutal relationship between life and death in rural life; of course — as is the case with most of Heaney’s poetry — there is an underlying queer aspect here. Heaney laments the fact that in cities and places of large populations one would find it extremely difficult to get away with murdering a homosexual or beating them until they claim their sexuality has changed; in more isolated areas, however, it is much easier for such behaviour to go unchallenged. I admire how Heaney chooses such an interesting way of putting his suffering into words! :^(
'Prevention of cruelty' talk cuts ice in town
Where they consider death unnatural
But on well-run farms pests have to be kept down.
7. Samuel Lover - The Four-Leaved Shamrock
Lover is more famous for his songs than for his poetry; this is a shame, because he has written some truly beautiful verse. This is my favourite of his poems, and it is about one of Ireland’s most important symbols to boot. It is believed that finding a four-leaved shamrock will bring you luck and good fortune; Lover doesn’t want to use this luck on himself, however, but on those less fortunate than he is. What a selfless soul — surely worthy of his last name! ;^)
I'll seek a four-leaved shamrock in all the fairy dells,
And if I find the charmed leaves, oh, how I'll weave my spells!
I would not waste my magic might on diamond, pearl, or gold,
For treasure tires the weary sense,—such triumph is but cold;
But I would play th' enchanter's part, in casting bliss around,—
Oh! not a tear, nor aching heart, should in the world be found
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.
Lipolation:
And now I stand and go, I go to Beiginis,
To make a tiny cabin, just wood and mud and me:
To see to nine bean bushes; to sit and watch the fish
Beside the hive of the honey bee.
And I can have some peace then, as peace comes seeping soft
Seeping down the sunshine as the cicada sings;
That noon is set by sun, and night by moonshine quaffed,
And evening takes on the finch's wings.
And now I stand and go, as with each night and day
My Beiginis is singing; its voice that I know best -
As I stand on the pavement, and face each day's dismay -
Comes in the beating of my chest.
One of the most famous Irish poems of all time! I of course had to change location, but I think that the island of Beiginis is a suitable choice, especially since it is of personal importance to me. ;^)
On an apple-ripe September morning
Through the mist-chill fields I went
With a pitch-fork on my shoulder
Less for use than for devilment.
Patrick Kavanagh, On An Apple-Ripe September Morning
Patrick Kavanagh is a poet whose craft I find highly frustrating. Here you have the lovely first stanza of a poem about the life of a farmer’s child in early 20th century Monaghan — it is full of vivid imagery which immediately transports you to the setting described; the last line also perfectly captures the cheeky nature of youth. It is a shame that there is not a stronger form employed, nor are many poetic techniques present, as those could have made this work spectacular! However the poem gets significantly worse as you read on; indeed, Kavanagh occasionally abandons the ABCB rhyme scheme without any good reason for doing so. The descriptions in the other stanzas are also much less vivid than in this first one. I wish Kavanagh took poetry more seriously — it is a shame to think what a fantastic poem this could have been if he was only a little less lazy. ;^|
‘Tis a day to which I’m partial,
Is old St. Patrick’s Day
When O’Ginsberg and Garcia’s
Join O’Malley and O’Shea
In seein’ proper deference paid,
And in wearin’ o’ the green,
And in marchin’ in a grand parade,
Cheered on by each Colleen.
From Mademoiselle O’De La Tour,
To Fráulein von O’Hess,
With a lilt of Irish laughter, sure,
And a shamrock on her dress;
With tall silk hats upon their conks,
It matters not if they
Are from County Down or County Bronx
On old St. Patrick’s Day!
Lipolation:
'Tis a day I quite enjoy,
Is fun St. Paddy's Day
When Kennedy and Smith and Foy
Join McSweeney and O'Shea
In joyous dance and happy singing
In hues of mint ant pea;
Now comes the pageant's noisy zinging —
And what a joy to see!
They dye the bayous shades so awing
Down in New Mexico;
And Connaght folk who dance guffawing
Sip sage shakes on the go;
In pointy hats and tight-fit jeans,
Each shouts and whoops as they
Come out of Down, Meath, even Queens
On fun St. Paddy's Day!
80 years and a day ago was this poem published! It is another one showed to me by my grandmother’s friend, Edith; it comes from an old edition of The New York Post Scripts of The Saturday Evening Post. It is a shame that this Irish poet who emigrated to America has been forgotten by the majority of people, because this is truly a beautiful piece of verse. While I do consider it unfortunate that St. Patrick himself is often overlooked on his holiday, this day of joyful celebration is a welcome break from the all-too-common bleakness of life in the Age of Trump. Everyone comes together — no matter what background they are from and what their identity may be — celebrate a country that was once strongly oppressed and widely overlooked. This poem perfectly captures that uplifting, 'melting pot' feeling that characterises the occasion. I hope that the Tikki Troops enjoyed the poem, and that you all had a good Saint Patrick's Day despite the circumstances! If you are looking for more poems about Irish saints, take a look at my blessay on poems celebrating Ireland’s (sadly) lesser-known female patron saint; I am certain that you will love it! ;^)
Yet he who treads in measured ways
May surely barter gaze for gaze.
Man ever journeys on with them
After the red-rose-bordered hem.
Ah, faeries, dancing under the moon,
A Druid land, a Druid tune!
William Butler Yeats, To Ireland in the Coming Times
Top of the morning to the fantastic Tikki Troops and happy Irish week to you all! This week I am going to spotlight some of the best Irish poets to ever grace our world with verse — including several whom you have probably never heard of! We start off the pweek with a quote from one of Eirinn’s most famous poets — William Butler Yeats. I found this quote particularly fitting, because it explores the power of the land to inspire works of art — here, the Emerald Isle and its rich cultural heritage becomes Yeats’s muse. He creates many beautiful images throughout this poem which become even more vivid through his beautiful rhymes and employment of repetition. I found this one particularly powerful because it is always nice to see different people coming together, championing inclusivity and solidarity under the harshest of circumstances. Humans may be rather poor at this overall, but Yeats shows us that we should follow the example of mythical creatures and promote unconditional tolerance! ;^)
I've got the children to tend
The clothes to mend
The floor to mop
The food to shop
Then the chicken to fry
The baby to dry
I got company to feed
The garden to weed
I've got shirts to press
The tots to dress
The cane to be cut
I gotta clean up this hut
Then see about the sick
And the cotton to pick.
Shine on me, sunshine
Rain on me, rain
Fall softly, dewdrops
And cool my brow again.
Storm, blow me from here
With your fiercest wind
Let me float across the sky
'Til I can rest again.
Fall gently, snowflakes
Cover me with white
Cold icy kisses and
Let me rest tonight.
Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone
Star shine, moon glow
You're all that I can call my own.
Lipolation:
I've got the kids to tend
The outfits to mend
The house to mop
The food to shop
Then the chicken to cook
The baby to tuck
I got company to feed
The patio to weed
I've got to feed the pups
Put tea into cups
The cane to cut
I gotta dust this hut
Then see about the sick
And the cotton to pick.
Shine on me, sunshine
Humidify the day as you do,
Then bestow heaven’s dew on me
And abate my body’s heat again.
Tempest, come down on me now,
With a huge savage gust,
Take me high to the doves
So I can sit down again.
Come down with ease, snow
Sink me in white
Nippy icy kisses and
Have me sit down tonight.
Sun, snow, bending sky
Mountain, oceans, daisy, stone
Sun’s shine, moon’s sheen
Just you and house jobs to be my own!
I must present my sincere apologies to all the loyal Tikki Troops for not posting quite as often these days as I usually do. I have been struggling with sicknesses and have had very important assignments from work. I hope that this poem by Dr. Maya Angelou will constitute an appropriate apology gift! At first glance this poem may look easy to lipolate, but it has proved highly difficult. Weather is problematic to get around and I did not want to lose those atmospheric images that are so important to the poem. I also found the last line particularly difficult, so I decided to go in a more bittersweet and playful direction with it. I think it works well with the tone of the poem and it’s always nice to end on a happier note. ;^)
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
Lipolation:
The fog comes
on tiny kitten feet.
It sits gazing
at the docks and city
on hushed haunches
and then moves on.
This little poem is reminiscent of a longer passage in T. S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, in which a similar feline metaphor is employed. My lipolation is softer, cuter than the original — some might accuse me of undue manipulation of the source material, but I think that this is an interesting way of looking at fog! :^)
Luke never met either Finn or Poe
So what they do behind closed doors
I guess I'll never know...
But I would like to also note that love is love
Whatever floats your boat.
Lipolation:
I did not once meet Finn and Poe
So what the two might be up to
I cannot say I know...
But I should note that it is not my business
What sex you want to hex.
A lovely message of solidarity with the queer community from Hamill! The poem features an interesting rhythm and a satisfying use of assonance and internal rhyme — great is the versificatory power that comes from being one with the Force! ;^)
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet,
And so are you.
Lipolation:
The peony is pink,
The poppy's in hue,
Honey is sweet —
Just as you.
This most famous of love poems existed in many forms before is current codification, and the story of its origin is unclear. I freely borrowed from various versions while crafting the lipolation, and I tried to compensate for imperfections with a peppering of plosives. ;^)
Something Sappy — My Top Seven Poems With Valentines Symbols
There are many things that evoke Saint Valentine’s Day in my mind, and many of these are especially common in poetry — here are some of my favourite examples! ;^)
1. Gladys McKee - Prayer For Saint Valentine
Symbol: St Valentine
This symbol may be the most obvious, but it is often forgotten that this day is a Christian feast. This poem is a joyful celebration of both the religious and the romantic aspects of Valentines. I cannot find it online, but it is printed in the 2/15/1941 Saturday Evening Post (Vol. 213 Issue 33). A big thank-you to my grandmother’s friend Edith for showing it to me! ;^)
Good saint, I thank thee for the part
Of every scarlet, lace-edged heart
That goes upon its gallant way
To question lovers on this day
2. Langston Hughes - Danse Africaine
Symbol: Dance
Dancing together is a highly intimate activity. Hughes’ dance here may not be a romantic tango or a tender waltz, but it captures the same kind of feeling and emotional link between people.
And the tom-toms beat,
And the tom-toms beat,
And the low beating of the tom-toms
Stirs your blood.
3. William Butler Yeats - Never give all the Heart
Symbol: Heart
The use of hearts as a symbol for love has a long and complicated history. Still, it is the most common romantic ideograph, recognised worldwide. Yeats skillfully employs this metaphor for observations about love and, more broadly, gender.
And who could play it well enough
If deaf and dumb and blind with love?
He that made this knows all the cost,
For he gave all his heart and lost.
4. Michael McFee - Valentine’s Afternoon
Symbol: Ballon
The propensity of balloons for flight has fascinated people for centuries, and McFee uses this in a wonderfully symbolic way in this poem. The “helium heart” inscribed with ‘LOVE’ floating away suggests a multitude of readings, and their combination and interaction gives these lines great poetic power.
Four lanes over, a plump helium heart—
slipped, maybe, from some kid’s wrist
or a rushed lover's empty front seat
through a half-cracked car window—
rises like a shiny purple cloudlet
5. A. A. Milne - Teddy Bear
Symbol: Teddy Bear
The bear in this poem is the precursor to Milne’s later character of Winnie-The-Pooh. He brings a lovely message of inclusion, both queer and pro-fat, one that resonates with the all-loving theme of Saint Valentine’s Day.
But do you think it worries him
To know that he is far from slim?
No, just the other way about -
He's proud of being short and stout.
6. Rivière - Eclair au chocolat
Symbol: Éclair
Éclairs are the most delicious of Valentines symbols, so here is a French poem to celebrate them. Pâte à choux filled with crème and topped with a luxurious glaçage of chocolat — absolument délicieux ! ;^)
Par un soir d’orage,
Quel étrange présage !
Dans le ciel zébra,
Un éclair au chocolat !
7. Anonymous - Roses Are Red
Symbol: Flowers
Probably the most famous Valentines poem of all time. Its cliché natures makes its poetics overlooked — not only does it use interesting alliteration and consonance, it has an unusual rhythm: it could be considered to be in iambic dimeter, but with three of the four lines using an opening inversion. The author is unknown and there is no ‘definitive’ version, but I quote the most famous variation.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet,
And so are you.
When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,
For all the day they view things unrespected;
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,
And darkly bright, are bright in dark directed.
Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright,
How would thy shadow's form form happy show
To the clear day with thy much clearer light,
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so!
How would, I say, mine eyes be blessed made
By looking on thee in the living day,
When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade
Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay!
All days are nights to see till I see thee,
And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.
Lipolation:
When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,
As in the day they see no joy of mine;
But in the night, inside they gaze on thee,
And, dim and deep, in dimming depths see shine.
Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth ignite,
How would thy shadow's shape give happy show
To the good day with thy enbeaming sight,
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so?
How would, I say, mine eyes be joyous made
By gazing on thee in the giving day,
When in dead night thy fine unending shade
In wake of wink on night-shut eyes doth stay!
The day is night when I do not see thee,
And night fine day when it does show thee me.
Here is one of Shakespeare's loveliest sonnets, one that makes even separation romantic. The conflation of night and day echoes the paradoxical 'Fair is foul and foul is fair' of Macbeth, but instead of being sinister, it is highly optimistic! ;^)
Teach your beau to heed the lay—
That sunshine soon is lost in shade—
That now's as good as any day—
To take thee, Rosa, ere she fade.
Abraham Lincoln, To Rosa
Last week on Tikki’s Thoughts we discussed how Etrigan the Demon was a fictional Republican candidate who was unsuccessful in securing a nomination for the presidency. This week I decided to cover a real Republican nominee who ended up becoming president — Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln is one of the few American presidents to have a legal holiday celebrated in many states in his honour. While he is famous his egalitarian laws, his iconic look and his vampire slaying, his legacy as a poet is often overlooked. For Saint Valentine's Week I chose his most romantic poem, To Rosa, in which he advises the titular daughter of a hotel proprietor about love and marriage. I love how Lincoln treats the woman as an equal partner in marriage in these lines — perhaps old Abe was more of a feminist then we might have thought? ;^)
There once was a plumber from Leigh
Who was plumbing a girl by the sea;
She said, "Stop your plumbing!
There's somebody coming!"
Said the plumber, still plumbing, "It's me."
Lipolation:
One day a gay bum at the quay
Was bumming a guy by the sea,
Who said, "Stop the bumming!
I think someone's coming!"
Said the bum, "Yes, I know, and it's me."
I decided that this anonymous limerick — which already exists in many versions — really deserves a queer adaptation, so I took the liberty of using a same-sex couple in the lipolation. I think that it is all the better for it! ;^)
And since I am a maiden
My love will never know
That I could kiss him with a mouth
More red than roses blow.
Sara Teasdale, A Maiden
Time for a pweek of love to celebrate Saint Valentine's Day! Sara Teasdale — a poet of Native American heritage from the turn of the twentieth century — may not have been much of a radically rebellious feminist, but she clearly championed equality when it came to love. She concedes to the status quo, but she also acknowledges the power of feminine sexuality. To this end she employs a curious simile, referencing the colour red as something that roses "blow". Instead of revolution, what we see in her poetry is passive, pacifist resistance — a method which brings great effect when used in conjunction with more determined action. The perfect choice for love! ;^)
Upon deciding to embark on a pweek dedicated to DC Comics, I was filled with trepidation by my lack of ideas for a suitable blessay. I initially thought of conducting a study into the connections in William Butler Yeats’s poetry to each of Crazy Jane’s personalities — but then I came across something even more interesting, and in the strangest of places. As part of my research for this week, I read many a comic book published by DC. One of these was Scooby Apocalypse, and I was surprised at the characterization of the protagonists in the series. No one was really themselves: Velma Dinkley wasn’t really Velma Dinkley; Fred Jones wasn’t really Fred Jones; Daphne Blake wasn't really Daphne Blake. Then it hit me — Daphne wasn’t really Daphne Blake, she wasn’t really a Blake. While all the characters seemed like strange parodies of their original selves, Daphne was easily the most distant. She was a fighter, quick talker and constantly in a bad mood — a far cry from her old self. Her original personality was lighter, akin to that of a Romantic poet prone to reverie — say, for instance, Blake. William Blake. Thus was born this blessay.1
Though they lived a century and a half apart, the personalities of William Blake and Daphne Blake show remarkable similarities. Not only do they share the same general demeanour and mien, but also a number of specific traits. William was a highly creative person — he constantly engaged in artistic creation, and also invented the technique of relief etching,2 which he used to produce his books, pamphlets and poems; Daphne was similarly inventive, such as her culinary creations used to convince Shaggy to do work.3 William was kind and selfless — for instance, he made the sacrifice of moving to Felpham in 1800 to illustrate the work of fellow poet William Hayley; Daphne is always willing to help those tormented by monsters. William made good use of clumsy rhyming schemes in some of his poems; Daphne's propensity for accident was such that she received the monicker 'Danger Prone Daphne'. William was opposed to the Newtonian paradigm of reality4 and said that one must create one's own system in order to avoid corruption by that of another; Daphne consistently shows similar independence, caring little for society's ideas of propriety and never hesitating to solve mysteries herself without waiting for the police. William traveled all over England and had an interest in world religions and anthropology, reading many different religious texts; Daphne traveled constantly with her friends and immersed herself in various cultures — the list goes on. Of course, Daphne Blake isn’t a complete replica of William Blake and the two differ in some less-important areas. She is more of a niece to Blake than a daughter or a gender-flipped clone.
It seems that Daphne's appearance is based on William Blake's own, exhibiting also some elements borrowed from his artistic work. Like him, Daphne has blue eyes. Both of them had ginger hair, although William's turned gray as he grew older. In almost all portraits, William Blake is depicted wearing a cravat; Daphne always wears her scarf. She also wears a pantyhose, which is a rarity in the show even among secondary characters — there are no records of William dressing similarly, but it is interesting to note that his father, James Blake, was a hosier. Daphne's characteristic colour, purple, is one that is rarely used in William's paintings, but one that is always imbued with strong symbolic significance when present. Her dress is strikingly similar to that of the girl seen in William's painting Age Teaching Youth — both have a short skirt but long sleeves with coloured cuffs. What is more, both girls have pale skin and curly hair. Hair of similar length and shape is seen elsewhere in the work of William Blake — in his sketches of Daphne, the Ancient Greek naiad; a strange detail to say the least.5 In fact, William was especially fond of the Daphne myth, as attested by Bunsho Jugaku in his study of Blake's notebook.6
Certain biographical details link these two personalities in curiously specific ways. William was the third of seven children; Daphne is the third eldest member of the group. Since two of William's siblings died in infancy, his family numbered only five children — the number of the Scooby-Doo gang. William had a troubled love life; Daphne is shown to have similar problems.78 William was physically bullied by boys from his school; Daphne suffers at the hands of villains, especially by being kidnapped.9 William was a feminist who believed strongly in the equality of the sexes; Daphne shows similar beliefs and is portrayed as Shaggy's equal, just as Velma is Fred's. In fact, William was characterised as a "proto-hippie" by the New York Times,10 and his poem Auguries of Innocence is a powerful ode to free love. He also had an "affectionate relationship" with dogs.11 He was fond of dance and night-time (eg. The Dance of Albion and The Tyger, respectively) — both commonly seen in Scooby-Doo.12 Daphne even visited William Blake's birthplace — London — in one episode.13
But Tikki! — I hear unconvinced Tikki Troops cry — is Scooby-Doo not about proving that ghosts do not exist? How does this fit with Blake claiming to have conversed with ghosts and angels in his visions? To this I say: do you not remember The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, in which Daphne talks to ghosts, just as William did? Indeed this show features more allusions to Blake. The most notable is the preponderant number of pairs — in just the first episode, we see two skulls in the opening, two bull heads on Vincent's door, two ghosts (Weerd and Bogel), two engines malfunctioning, two oxen pulling carts, and more.14 This is no doubt in reference to William Blake's grave, which is memorialised by two separate gravestones.
In his poem Eternity, William Blake writes:
He who binds himself to a joy
Does the winged life destroy
He who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity's sunrise
He clearly did the latter, because he undeniably lives on today "in eternity's sunrise", through his paintings, through his poetry — and through Scooby-Doo.
15
For the purposes of this blessay, I will be limiting my coverage to the period of animated releases from 1969 to 1985. This is due to the fact that during this period the characters were handled by the same, original team — thus their personalities remained largely constant. ↩︎
Wright, John W. "Blake’s Relief-Etching Method." Blake: An Illustrated Quarterly, vol. 9, no. 4, spring 1976, pp. 94-114. ↩︎
"Never Ape an Ape Man." Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, season 1, episode 7. CBS, 25 Oct. 1969. ↩︎
Moore, Alan. "Alan Moore on William Blake’s contempt for Newton." Royal Academy of Arts Blog. https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/william-blake-isaac-newton-ashmolean-oxford. Accessed 10 Feb. 2020. ↩︎
Blake, William. The Notebook of William Blake (the 'Rossetti Manuscript'). British Library. c. 1787-c. 1847. pp. 2, 46. ↩︎
Blake, William, and Bunshō Jugak. A Bibliographical Study of William Blake’s Note-Book. Haskell House, 1971. ↩︎
"Mystery Mask Mix-Up." Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, season 2, episode 2. CBS, 19 Sep. 1970. ↩︎
"Mamba Wamba and the Voodoo Hoodoo." The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour, season 1, episode 9. ABC, 6 Nov. 1976. ↩︎
For instance: "Decoy for a Dognapper." Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, season 1, episode 5. CBS, 11 Oct. 1969. ↩︎
Schaap, Rosie. “Letter of Recommendation: William Blake’s Grave.” The New York Times, 4 Feb. 2016. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/07/magazine/letter-of-recommendation-william-blakes-grave.html. ↩︎
Clayton, Ellie. “Dog of my Gate.” William Blake: Religion and Psychology, 4 July 2012, http://ramhornd.blogspot.com/2012/07/dog-of-my-gate.html. ↩︎
For an instance of dance, see: "Foul Play in Funland." Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, season 1, episode 8. CBS, 1 Nov. 1969. ↩︎
"Sherlock Doo." The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries, season 1, episode 11. ABC, 17 Nov. 1984. ↩︎
"To All the Ghouls I've Loved Before." The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, season 1, episode 1. ABC, 1 Sep. 1985. ↩︎
GrindtXX. Ledger stone on the grave of William Blake. CC-BY-SA. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bunhill_Blake_2018.jpg ↩︎
