Love and Myth: A Journey Through Eavan Boland's Poetry

 
Love
 
Eavan Boland
Eavan Boland
www.aoifesnotes.com
www.aoifesnotes.com
 
Myth
 
Opening is a blend of the
ordinary and the
extraordinary
The setting is merely a ‘mid-
western town’ but it is a place
where ‘myths collided’
Boland alludes to the myths
rather than referring to them
directly
 
 
It is dusk: a time of transition.
Boland switches between the past and the present
The dark river becomes the Styx
Introduces the idea of death
Boland’s young daughter became gravely ill when
they lived in Iowa (she recovered!)
Journey to and from hospital - coming close to
death
 
www.aoifesnotes.com
 
Myths collide…
 
Fact and myth collide in the
ordinariness of the
description of the furniture in
their home
Accurate, down-to-earth
language at this point
Meeting of the ordinary and
the extraordinary -
practicalities combine with
powerful emotions
 
www.aoifesnotes.com
 
Through this difficult time, the couple discovered
how strong love is
Power: ‘muscle’, ‘fire and air’
Interesting that the other elements - earth and
water - are not mentioned.  Love is invisible and
intangible
Love becomes mythologised - a thing with ‘the
feather and muscle of wings’
 
www.aoifesnotes.com
 
their voices failed…
 
Intense and emotional time in the
couple's marriage
Aeneas or Odysseus' journey through
hell. As they travelled, they met
former companions who had died and
were trapped in the underworld. The
dead men tried to speak, but they
could not be heard.
''a life they had shared and lost'' is
clearly not just about the Greek hero
and his friends.
The poet feels and her husband
shared a different life, a different kind
of love at that time.
 
www.aoifesnotes.com
 
Why can’t she speak?
 
Intensity of emotion renders
words impossible
It is in the past - can it be
conjured up again?
Aeneas’ companions once
shared adventures and
hardships with him but now
they cannot speak to one
another of those times
 
www.aoifesnotes.com
 
Return to the present - ‘I am your
Return to the present - ‘I am your
wife’
wife’
 
Simple, declarative statements
The past and present meet and are summed up in six short
sentences
Words in the first four sentences contain no Latin roots -
they are plain - not the language of myth, as Boland ‘speaks
plainly’
Stanzas become shorter as the poem draws to a close - sense
of urgency reflects desire to come to a definite conclusion
 
www.aoifesnotes.com
 
And yet…
 
The child is healed; the couple 'love
each other still.'
On the surface, all is well. They
converse and 'hear each other
clearly.’
However…
The image of her husband at that
time is the image of a hero
Cinematic description of him
standing in the dark with snow on his
shoulders - slightly unreal - dark, not
clear light of day - romantic image
 
www.aoifesnotes.com
 
But that time has gone.
She wonders if love will ever come to live with
them again.
Again, love is personified as something so
formidable, so powerful, that even to be in his
presence was awe-inspiring and uplifting.
The words ‘epic’ and ‘ascension’ bring the
language back to mythology
 
www.aoifesnotes.com
 
No matter how passionate their love was then, it cannot be recaptured.
Time passes and things change. Her words are ''shadows''. They are
insubstantial.
She cannot communicate with the memory of a person as they once were.
He cannot be the man he was, and their lives must move on. underworld,
she wants to cry out to her ''dear companion'' but he cannot hear her.
The image of her husband on the bridge turns and walks away.
Like the men trapped in Hades, she cannot follow.
The hero of the past is gone, and it is impossible to go back. No matter
how passionate their love was then, it cannot be recaptured.
Time passes and things change. Her words are ''shadows''. They are
insubstantial, and she cannot communicate with the memory of a person
as they once were. He cannot be the man he was, and their lives must
move on.
 
www.aoifesnotes.com
 
Theme
 
Love changes
Earlier intensity may go
However, even though love is
different now, it is still strong
This is not a negative view of
love
 
www.aoifesnotes.com
 
Tone
 
Sorrow, loss, longing
Nostalgia
Acceptance
Resignation
Recognition of love and
affection that exists between
husband and wife
 
www.aoifesnotes.com
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Eavan Boland's poetry explores the intertwining of love and myth in the ordinary moments of life. Through vivid imagery and emotional depth, Boland navigates themes of strength, loss, and the power of love as a transformative force. The blend of the ordinary and extraordinary, past and present, creates a rich tapestry of human experience, resonating with readers on a profound level.

  • Eavan Boland
  • Love
  • Myth
  • Poetry
  • Emotional Depth

Uploaded on Apr 05, 2024 | 4 Views


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  1. Love Eavan Boland www.aoifesnotes.com

  2. Myth Opening is a blend of the ordinary and the extraordinary The setting is merely a mid- western town but it is a place where myths collided Boland alludes to the myths rather than referring to them directly www.aoifesnotes.com

  3. It is dusk: a time of transition. Boland switches between the past and the present The dark river becomes the Styx Introduces the idea of death Boland s young daughter became gravely ill when they lived in Iowa (she recovered!) Journey to and from hospital - coming close to death www.aoifesnotes.com

  4. Myths collide Fact and myth collide in the ordinariness of the description of the furniture in their home Accurate, down-to-earth language at this point Meeting of the ordinary and the extraordinary - practicalities combine with powerful emotions www.aoifesnotes.com

  5. Through this difficult time, the couple discovered how strong love is Power: muscle , fire and air Interesting that the other elements - earth and water - are not mentioned. Love is invisible and intangible Love becomes mythologised - a thing with the feather and muscle of wings www.aoifesnotes.com

  6. their voices failed Intense and emotional time in the couple's marriage Aeneas or Odysseus' journey through hell. As they travelled, they met former companions who had died and were trapped in the underworld. The dead men tried to speak, but they could not be heard. ''a life they had shared and lost'' is clearly not just about the Greek hero and his friends. The poet feels and her husband shared a different life, a different kind of love at that time. www.aoifesnotes.com

  7. Why cant she speak? Intensity of emotion renders words impossible It is in the past - can it be conjured up again? Aeneas companions once shared adventures and hardships with him but now they cannot speak to one another of those times www.aoifesnotes.com

  8. Return to the present - I am your wife Simple, declarative statements The past and present meet and are summed up in six short sentences Words in the first four sentences contain no Latin roots - they are plain - not the language of myth, as Boland speaks plainly Stanzas become shorter as the poem draws to a close - sense of urgency reflects desire to come to a definite conclusion www.aoifesnotes.com

  9. And yet The child is healed; the couple 'love each other still.' On the surface, all is well. They converse and 'hear each other clearly. However The image of her husband at that time is the image of a hero Cinematic description of him standing in the dark with snow on his shoulders - slightly unreal - dark, not clear light of day - romantic image www.aoifesnotes.com

  10. But that time has gone. She wonders if love will ever come to live with them again. Again, love is personified as something so formidable, so powerful, that even to be in his presence was awe-inspiring and uplifting. The words epic and ascension bring the language back to mythology www.aoifesnotes.com

  11. No matter how passionate their love was then, it cannot be recaptured. Time passes and things change. Her words are ''shadows''. They are insubstantial. She cannot communicate with the memory of a person as they once were. He cannot be the man he was, and their lives must move on. underworld, she wants to cry out to her ''dear companion'' but he cannot hear her. The image of her husband on the bridge turns and walks away. Like the men trapped in Hades, she cannot follow. The hero of the past is gone, and it is impossible to go back. No matter how passionate their love was then, it cannot be recaptured. Time passes and things change. Her words are ''shadows''. They are insubstantial, and she cannot communicate with the memory of a person as they once were. He cannot be the man he was, and their lives must move on. www.aoifesnotes.com

  12. Theme Love changes Earlier intensity may go However, even though love is different now, it is still strong This is not a negative view of love www.aoifesnotes.com

  13. Tone Sorrow, loss, longing Nostalgia Acceptance Resignation Recognition of love and affection that exists between husband and wife www.aoifesnotes.com

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