Irish Boland

EAVAN BOLANDEAVAN BOLAND

(b. 1944)(b. 1944)

15 / 04 / 201115 / 04 / 2011


women’s voices in Irelandwomen’s voices in Ireland are under-represented: are under-represented: an intensely an intensely patriarchalpatriarchal public and private ethos public and private ethos,,

intensified by intensified by religiousreligious patriarchy patriarchy a tradition of male writing about women in which a tradition of male writing about women in which

religious and nationalist iconographyreligious and nationalist iconography represent representeded them as them as passive, emblematic of territory passive, emblematic of territory

Ireland traditionally portrayed as a womanIreland traditionally portrayed as a woman

((Cathleen Ni Houlihan, Mother Ireland Cathleen Ni Houlihan, Mother Ireland oror Dark Dark RosaleenRosaleen))


poetry as poetry as a ‘male preserve’ a ‘male preserve’ Boland Boland ssttarted writing in the early 1960sarted writing in the early 1960s

- - women poets appearwomen poets appearinging together with a broader together with a broader movement for women’s rights in Ireland (the 2movement for women’s rights in Ireland (the 2ndnd wave of feminismwave of feminism))

““I know now that I began writing in a country where I know now that I began writing in a country where the word the word womanwoman and the word and the word poetpoet were almost were almost

magnetically opposed.magnetically opposed.””


““The best thing about your work is that you would The best thing about your work is that you would never know it was by a woman.never know it was by a woman.””

- ‘‘genderless’ poemsgenderless’ poems - attempting to write ‘like a man’attempting to write ‘like a man’- compelled to write under the enormous influence of compelled to write under the enormous influence of

W. B. YeatsW. B. Yeats


inspiration in inspiration in everyday lifeeveryday life and inand in ordinary details ordinary details opposopposinging the cherished stereotypical images which the cherished stereotypical images which

represented represented women only as objectswomen only as objects of the male gazeof the male gaze

WWhom can female poets invoke for inspiration?hom can female poets invoke for inspiration?


I’m not your muse, not that creatureI’m not your muse, not that creature

In the painting, with the beautiful body,In the painting, with the beautiful body,

Venus on the half-shell. Can Venus on the half-shell. Can

You not see I’m an ordinary womanYou not see I’m an ordinary woman

Tied to the moon’s phases, bloodyTied to the moon’s phases, bloody

Six days in twenty-eight? Six days in twenty-eight?

... ...

Paula Meehan, “Not Your Muse”Paula Meehan, “Not Your Muse”


set out toset out to redefine and explore her female identityredefine and explore her female identity in the poem in the poem

‘‘women have gone from being the objects of the Irish women have gone from being the objects of the Irish poem to being the authors of itpoem to being the authors of it’’

‘‘IIn the Irish poem I had inherited you could have a n the Irish poem I had inherited you could have a political murder but not a baby, you could have the political murder but not a baby, you could have the Dublin hills but not the suburbs under them.’Dublin hills but not the suburbs under them.’


recording those recording those aspects of life that have been aspects of life that have been marginalized in terms of history and poetic traditionmarginalized in terms of history and poetic tradition

the neglected and un-recordedthe neglected and un-recorded

The I-voice of her poems always and exclusively that The I-voice of her poems always and exclusively that of the woman who acquires her own voice, of the woman who acquires her own voice, turning turning from an object to the subject of the poem.from an object to the subject of the poem.

OUTSIDE HISTORYOUTSIDE HISTORY The Irish woman has always existed some place The Irish woman has always existed some place

“outside history”, not participating in allegedly “outside history”, not participating in allegedly important historical events made exclusively by men important historical events made exclusively by men

““As far as history goes we were never on the As far as history goes we were never on the scene of the crime”scene of the crime”


a huge difference between the two sides of historya huge difference between the two sides of history::

the the “official“officiallly” known and recognizedy” known and recognized history history

– – his storyhis story the the story of women story of women traditionally existing somewhere traditionally existing somewhere

outsideoutside the scope of Western history the scope of Western history

– – her storyher story


subvertsubvertinging the passive and voiceless images of the passive and voiceless images of Cathleen Ni HoulihanCathleen Ni Houlihan or or Dark RosaleenDark Rosaleen - - the national the national emblems of Irelandemblems of Ireland

refusrefusinging any identification with static and stereotypical any identification with static and stereotypical images of the women fixed in timeless youth and images of the women fixed in timeless youth and beauty in the Irish poem beauty in the Irish poem

““I want a poem I can grow old in. I want a poem I can I want a poem I can grow old in. I want a poem I can die in. …die in. … Let me die”Let me die” (“A Woman Painted…”) (“A Woman Painted…”)


in many of her poems her lyric speakers are Boland in many of her poems her lyric speakers are Boland herselfherself - - aautobiographicutobiographicalal elements elements

the the ‘suburban and child-and-woman centred poetry’‘suburban and child-and-woman centred poetry’ a baby’s bottle, nappies, dishes, remnants of food etca baby’s bottle, nappies, dishes, remnants of food etc.. tthe imagery which is not considered poetic enoughhe imagery which is not considered poetic enough

(the demeaned, the neglected subject) (the demeaned, the neglected subject) often referred to asoften referred to as a a ‘domestic poet’‘domestic poet’


After a while I came to think of myself as After a while I came to think of myself as an indoor naturean indoor nature poet. And my lexicon was the kettle and the steam, and the poet. And my lexicon was the kettle and the steam, and the machine in the corner, and the kitchen, and the baby’s bottle. machine in the corner, and the kitchen, and the baby’s bottle. These were parts of my world. Not to write about them would These were parts of my world. Not to write about them would have been artificial. Those objects were visible to me. They have been artificial. Those objects were visible to me. They assumed importances. … I felt about them, after a day spent in assumed importances. … I felt about them, after a day spent in the house or with little children, exactly the same way the the house or with little children, exactly the same way the nature poet feels after taking the same walk for several days nature poet feels after taking the same walk for several days and seeing the same tree or the same bird.and seeing the same tree or the same bird.


the world of the world of domestic interiorsdomestic interiors becomes a poetic becomes a poetic world with its own significanceworld with its own significance

itit is not less important than the outside urban or rural is not less important than the outside urban or rural spaces inscribed in the poetry of other poetsspaces inscribed in the poetry of other poets


In Her OwnIn Her Own ImageImage (1980) (1980)

taboo subjects related to women’s bodies: taboo subjects related to women’s bodies: anorexia, mastectomy, domestic violence, anorexia, mastectomy, domestic violence,

masturbation or stripteasemasturbation or striptease


Each of the poems Each of the poems plucks at a dark side of the body – plucks at a dark side of the body – violence, self-suppression, mutilation. … The lyric speaker violence, self-suppression, mutilation. … The lyric speaker still stood in almost the same place in the poem as he stood still stood in almost the same place in the poem as he stood ...... in Yeats’ time. That isn’t where I stood or wanted to stand. I in Yeats’ time. That isn’t where I stood or wanted to stand. I was still in the house, with small daughters. I was also in this was still in the house, with small daughters. I was also in this country with its complicated silences about a woman’s body. country with its complicated silences about a woman’s body. And I wanted to write a book of the body. Not of my body, And I wanted to write a book of the body. Not of my body, exactly. At least not in the autobiographical sense, since none exactly. At least not in the autobiographical sense, since none of the circumstances of the book ever happened to me. But it of the circumstances of the book ever happened to me. But it was still a book of the body. A book of physical metaphors was still a book of the body. A book of physical metaphors perhaps.perhaps.


the need to resist the ways in which the male lyric the need to resist the ways in which the male lyric labels and idealises womenlabels and idealises women

her her female speakers burdenedfemale speakers burdened by: by:

- - the beliefs of the Catholic churchthe beliefs of the Catholic church - - the images of asexual beauties of Irish poetic the images of asexual beauties of Irish poetic

traditiontradition ready to confront the taboos deeply rooted in Irish ready to confront the taboos deeply rooted in Irish

societysociety


attempts attempts to turn the “trivial” and “private” into to turn the “trivial” and “private” into “universal” and “public”“universal” and “public”

perceivperceivinging and conveying and conveying women from a woman’s women from a woman’s point of view point of view

Documents

Irish Boland