I believe the peom "Easter 1916" is a demanding poem as Yeats forces the reader to explore the history of Ireland. Yeats' style in this poem also contributes to the challenge of understanding his thought process. I feel that it is, also, very difficult for us to comprehend Yeats' purpose in this poem. Before reading "Easter 1916" I was under the impression that it was solely a poem of apology, but i feel Yeats did not stick to the task that he set out to do. Yeats' style of language in the first stanza adds to the challenge of comprehending his writing. He states "..Being certain that they and I/ But lived where motley is worn...". Yeats confuses the reader as he refers to "motley"; ridiculous clothing. As a young person of the 21st century the term "motley" would certainly not obtain a place in my vocabulary which immediatley adds difficluty to my further understanding of this poem. Yeats' chosen theme of an apologetic nature is further contradicted when he refers to his native country as a place where "motley is worn". This suggests Ireland is but a joke as the irish show little patriotism. This challenges the reader to try and understand the poets' train of thought which in my opinion is a very difficult task.
The poems' theme revolves around the paradox ; " All changed, changed utterly/a terrible beauty is born" I found this observation challenging to unravel which added confusion and uncertainty to Yeats' writing. This statement could have a variety of meanings which add uncertainty and confusion. For example, is the poet speaking about his opinion? has he decided to change his own thoughts? was he wrong to think that no great acts of heroism were likely in his time?. It could also be argued that the poet was speaking of the new social and political landscape in Ireland as a result of the rising.
The poem"Easter 1916" provoked me, through style and subject matter, to try and step into the shoes of the poet to further understand the points that...