The Poetry of Derek Mahon
The Poetry of Derek Mahon
Derek Mahon is a poet of outstanding skill and exceptional ability. I enormously enjoy Mahon because of this. He takes on piles of different personnae as a poet. It is clear to see that people and places are a prevailing feature of his poems. The six of his poems I have studied for my Leaving Certificate are mainly based around a person or a place . Mahon writes about a broad array of themes in a variety of tones.In his poems his language is used sparingly but effectively.
Person - I found the poetry of Derek Mahon to be unique and I look up to his power to imagine how other people think and feel.Mahon evokes various human personalities as he tries to make us understand his idea of how a character feels.Captain Oates, of the poem Antarctica, sacrifices his life to save the life of the other members of his expiditon team.He merely announces , “I am just going outside and may be some time” He is therefore becoming a hero for putting the welfare of others before him . -A person who Mahon also writes about is Bruce Ismay who is the complete oppisite of Oates.After the Titanic is a telling of his life and feelings after the sinking of his pride and glory The Titanic when he cowardly put his life before others by getting off the sinking ship. He is only a shadow of his former self by his survival of the tragic sinking " I sank as far that night as any hero". Mahon also makes us sympathise with him because he is imprisoned and left almost entirely isolated “lonely house behind the sea”. Mahon uses the sea itself as a vicious reminder, washing up “broken toys and hatboxes”. Ismay is made out the have a certain selfishness to himself . He wants people to feel sorry for him and for his own “poor soul”. ---¬Mahon does not only write poems about people who are in the public eye , he also writes very personal poetry which is presented in Grandfather. Mahon look upto his grandfather and has great respect for him, a dedicated craftsman in Harland &
Derek Mahon is a poet of outstanding skill and exceptional ability. I enormously enjoy Mahon because of this. He takes on piles of different personnae as a poet. It is clear to see that people and places are a prevailing feature of his poems. The six of his poems I have studied for my Leaving Certificate are mainly based around a person or a place . Mahon writes about a broad array of themes in a variety of tones.In his poems his language is used sparingly but effectively.
Person - I found the poetry of Derek Mahon to be unique and I look up to his power to imagine how other people think and feel.Mahon evokes various human personalities as he tries to make us understand his idea of how a character feels.Captain Oates, of the poem Antarctica, sacrifices his life to save the life of the other members of his expiditon team.He merely announces , “I am just going outside and may be some time” He is therefore becoming a hero for putting the welfare of others before him . -A person who Mahon also writes about is Bruce Ismay who is the complete oppisite of Oates.After the Titanic is a telling of his life and feelings after the sinking of his pride and glory The Titanic when he cowardly put his life before others by getting off the sinking ship. He is only a shadow of his former self by his survival of the tragic sinking " I sank as far that night as any hero". Mahon also makes us sympathise with him because he is imprisoned and left almost entirely isolated “lonely house behind the sea”. Mahon uses the sea itself as a vicious reminder, washing up “broken toys and hatboxes”. Ismay is made out the have a certain selfishness to himself . He wants people to feel sorry for him and for his own “poor soul”. ---¬Mahon does not only write poems about people who are in the public eye , he also writes very personal poetry which is presented in Grandfather. Mahon look upto his grandfather and has great respect for him, a dedicated craftsman in Harland &