THE NECESSITY FOR IRONY

EAVAN BOLAND

By Amber and Kay

REFRESHING VOCABULARY Ornament- an accessory, article, or

detail used to beautify the appearance of something

Caustic- severely critical or sarcastic Reproach- to find fault with (a person,

group, etc.); blame; censure.

On Sundays,when the rain held off,after lunch or later,I would go with my twelve year olddaughter into town,and put down the timeat junk sales, antique fairs.

There I wouldlean over tables,absorbed bylace, wooden frames,glass. My daughter stoodat the other end of the room,her flame-coloured hairobvious whenever-which was not often-

I turned around.I turned around.She was gone.

Grown. No longer readyto come with me, whenevera dry Sundayheld out its promisesof small histories. Endings.

When I was youngI studied styles: their useand origin. Which agewas known for whichornament: and was always drawnto a lyric speech, a civil tone.But never thoughtI would have the need,as I do now, for a darker one:

Spirit of irony,my caustic authorof the past, of memory,-and of its pain, which returnshurts, stings-reproach me now,remind methat I was in those rooms,with my child,with my back turned to her,searching-oh irony!-for beautiful things.

LITERARY FEATURES Imagery

Shown mostly in first half of poem when setting the scene Irony

Shown throughout the poem but mostly in lines 40-44 Minor Repetition

Lines 17 + 18 (also a transition in the poem. Line 17 ending the first half and line 18 beginning the second half)

Almost representative of an Aside actor’s speech, directed to audience, not supposed to be heard by other

actors on stage- usually used to let the audience know what a character is about to do/is thinking.

Possible connotation The word Sunday gives the reader a feeling of possible serenity (depending

on what thoughts the reader associates with Sundays) and therefore creates the mood depending on the readers association with that day.

Didactic Conveys a meaning/moral

CONTENT Beginning is a Narrative tone-gets almost lyrical

near the end. Speaker is a parent reflecting on past memories.(Inarguable) Assumed the parent is a mother although it is not directly

stated. [arguable] The subject is a parent remembering antique

shopping with their child. (Inarguable) From the tone it can be assumed the parent enjoys this

(stanza 2 + 4) and that the child does not (lines 12-13 + stanza 3) [arguable]

Structure is 5 Stanzas, 44 lines (stanza1-7lines, stanza2-9lines, stanza3-8lines, stanza4-9lines, stanza5-11lines) no connection/pattern with lines per stanza (Inarguable)

ARGUEABLES Most important lines (portray poems moral

best)Lines 14-17

her flame-coloured hairobvious whenever-which was not often- I turned around.

Lines 40-44 I was in those rooms,

with my child,with my back turned to her,searching-oh irony!-for beautiful things.

ARGUEABLES (CONT) Most Pivotal point in poem

Lines 17-19 I turned around.

I turned around.She was gone.

Also somewhat ironic because it’s at the beginning of Stanza 3, almost directly in the middle of the poem.

Questioning/puzzling lines Lines 1-2 (why Sundays? Why when there was no

rain? Where the antique fairs outside?) Lines 12-13 (Did the daughter not enjoy it or was she

looking at something else) Line 30 (“lyric speech, a civil tone” refers to what

exactly? History?)

Context that follows is also important because it changes from explaining antique shopping to explaining the importance of ‘time’ lost with the daughter.

MY INTERPRETATION (ARGUABLE-TO EACH HIS OWN)

This poem is about a parent who realizes through reflecting on a memory how quickly time goes by and how people try so hard to look for happiness in life that they miss the most wonderful parts, which are standing right in front of them.Most significant line (stanza 5, lines 40-44)

“I was in those rooms,with my child,with my back turned to her,searching-oh irony!-for beautiful things.”

Searching for something that, at the time, she hadn’t realized was right behind her.