Do You Like The Poetry Of Derek Mahon, And Why?
I like the poetry of Derek Mahon. I like his poetry because of its visual impact, the sympathetic outlook it possesses, its interesting perspective on political and religious conflict as well as the empathy present with the lives of others in his poetry. The poems I have studied are GRANDFATHER, DAY TRIP TO DONEGAL, ACROSS THE TITANIC, KINSALE, RAITHLIN, ECCLESIASTES and A DISUSED SHED IN COUNTRY WEXFORD.
As said, one of the reasons I like the poetry of Derek Mahon is because of its visual impact. Imagery pervades Mahon’s poetry and each poem is detailed thoroughly, giving it a feeling of wholeness and completion. I like that each Mahon poem has a world of its own, complete to the finest detail.
This is seen in DAY TRIP TO DONEGAL. Here Mahon examines the relationship between man and nature. Donegal is idealized to the extent that its hills are “a deeper green/ Than anywhere in the world”. However Mahon sees that the urban is invading the rural. Mahon shows the forcefulness of this invasion by presenting the reader with the detailed image of fish caught by the urban fisherman who plan to sell these fish at market. The fish are depicted brilliantly, seen “flopping about the deck in attitudes of agony and heartbreak.” More of this visual impact is seen in another Mahon poem, AFTER THE TITANIC. Mahon refers to the Titanic sinking and lists items which will be destroyed therefore: “Prams, pianos, sideboards, winches.” It is not simply a ship which is being destroyed. More of the same is seen in A DISUSED SHED IN CO. WEXFORD. Mahon here talks about the decay of Northern Ireland but is careful not to forget that in the time taken for the fall of his country “Spiders have spun, flies dusted to mildew”. Likewise, in ECCLESIASTES, Mahon rejects his Northern Irish identity but also informs the reader that he is rejecting the “dark churches, the empty streets”. Mahon prefers not to have to “feel called upon to understand and forgive” but also chooses the image of “a...
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