Patrick Kavanagh (All Quotes)

“The bicycles go by in twos and threes — there’s a dance in Billy Brennan’s Barn tonight”

(Inniskeen Road July Evening)

• The quote has vivid imagery as we get a view (from third person) into what’s happening.

• The alliteration of ‘b’ and ‘t’ sound gives a rhythm to start off the poem.

• The first line is an iambic pentameter too, giving a more lyrical tone.

“And there’s the half-code talk of mysteries and the wink-and-elbow of delight”

(Inniskeen Road July Evening)

• The metaphors present help us capture the excited atmosphere in anticipation of the dance.

• The language in the first part highlights Kavanagh being excluded from it all.

“I have what every poet hates in spite of all the solemn talk of contemplation”

(Inniskeen Road July Evening)

• Kavanagh finally refers to himself in the poem.

• He reflects on his position as a poet, saying that he hates this isolated position he has.

• Poets had always been portrayed as solitary thinkers.

“Oh, Alexander Selkirk knew the plight of being king and government and nation”… “I am king of banks and stones and every blooming thing”

(Inniskeen Road July Evening)

• Kavanagh alludes to Selkirk who voluntarily isolated himself to say he has chosen this solitude.

• The final line is a double entendre- on one hand it shows him accepting his poetic gift and his secluded island (Inniskeen).

• On the other, he almost cusses out the self-exclusion (the meaning falls on the word “blooming”)

“My black hills have never seen the sun rising, eternally they look north towards Armagh”

(Shancoduff)

• By personifying the hills, he makes the north-facing aspect seem like a deprivation rather than a fault.

• It sets the scene for the hills never seeing the beauty of the sun.

“Lot’s wife would not be turned to stone if she had been incurious like my black hills that are happy when dawn whitens Glassdrummond chapel”

(Shancoduff)

• He alludes to the biblical tale of Lot looking back on the city (even though God warned not to) to praise the hills’ lack of curiosity.

• There’s no envy nor curiosity, the hills are simply happy to see Glassdrummond chapel light up due to the sun.

“My hills hoard the bright shillings of March while the sun searches in every pocket”

(Shancoduff)

• The hills’ thriftiness is praised. They hoard the sunlight — as seen in the metaphor since they’re already deprived of it.

• The metaphor allows us to understand the depravity of the hills — augmenting their lack of envy for the sunrise they don’t see.

“They are my Alps and I’ve climbed the Matterhorn with a sheaf of hay for three perishing calves”

(Shancoduff)

• Kavanagh uses metaphor to tell us how significant the hills are by calling it his ‘Alps’.

• The little anecdote of carrying sheaf of hay tells us his familiarity and fondness with the hills.

“How wonderful that was, how wonderful!”

(A Christmas Childhood)

• The repetition of “how wonderful” gives off the sense of Kavanagh ruminating on the times.

• The second “how wonderful” really emphasises how Kavanagh views the time through a rose-eyed lens.

“O you, Eve, were the world that tempted me to eat the knowledge that grew in clay and death the germ within it!”

(A Christmas Childhood)

• Kavanagh alludes to Adam and Even to insinuate the idea that knowledge of the world kills childhood and its wonder.

• Kavanagh believes that having ate the fruit, he can only view this wonder through memories.

• Kavanagh favours childhood innocence over this adult knowledge.

“Or any common sight, the transfigured face of a beauty that the world did not touch”

(A Christmas Childhood)

• Kavanagh (in this nostalgic) state reflects on the common things and appreciates the beauty within them.

• The metaphor allows us to see Kavanagh’s appreciation for these little things now but also the beauty that’s overlooked.

“My father played the melodeon outside at the gate; there were stars in the morning east and they danced to his music”

(A Christmas Childhood)

• The simple imageries of the stars in the sky and his dad playing the melodion help us visualise the scene.

• Kavanagh personifies the stars to seemingly humanise them.

• The image shows a sense of attunement and community between nature and his dad in the boy’s imagination.

“An old man passing said ‘Can’t he make it talk — the melodeon.’ I hid in the doorway

(A Christmas Childhood)

• A sense of community is captured here as the old man takes conversation despite not being in the scene.

• The idea of the dad personifying the melodeon brings us back to the wonder embedded in the poem.

• The child ‘hid in the doorway’ — a microcosm for how he used to shy away from all things adult.

“My father played the melodion, my mother milked the cows, and I had a prayer”

(A Christmas Childhood)

• In the closing scene, the 3 are brought together though they’re doing their own thing.

• Despite being in separate images, they’re united under the idea of doing ordinary things — yet it’s augmented to something special.

“That her dark hair would weave a snare that I might one day rue; I saw the danger, yet I walked along the enchanted way”

(On Raglan Road)

• Kavanagh uses her dark hair as a vessel to talk on how she was merely a trap (foreshadowing the tragedy that’d befall.

• Even though he knew what the outcome would be, the idea of pursuit was still way too good to pass up. (the enchanted way)

“On Grafton Street in November we tripped lightly along the ledge of the deep ravine where can be seen the worth of passion’s pledge”

(On Raglan Road)

• Kavanagh uses simple imagery and the familiar setting (Grafton street) to host a sense of familiarity.

• He describes love as a ‘balancing act’ capturing the risk but also “adrenaline” associated with it.

• “Passion’s pledge” is simple alliteration yet shows Kavanagh valuing pledge out of bitterness.

“O I loved too much and by such, by such is happiness thrown away”

(On Raglan Road)

• Kavanagh regrets how much he loved in this part.

• Repetition of ‘by such’ makes the ‘cause and effect’ more effective.

• He accredits this love for him seemingly losing his spark and happiness.

“I gave her gifts of the mind, I gave her the secret sign that’s known to the artists”

(On Raglan Road)

• The poet reveals that he gave her gifts of his creative mind.

• A sense of arrogance is seen as the phrase “secret sign that’s known to the artists” makes it look like he gave her insight into this magically desired world.

• Isolation is also seen here, as Kavanagh fails to even imagine the idea that she didn’t care of these ‘gifts of the mind’.

“When the angel woos the clay he’d lose the wings at the dawn of day”

(On Raglan Road)

• Kavanagh re-humanises her by calling her a “creature of clay” but also arrogantly dehumanises himself.

• He thinks of himself as an angel, someone of higher value than her in order to console himself.

• The last part, yet again shows Kavanagh blaming this saga for him losing his spark.

“Leafy-with-love banks and the green waters of the canal pouring redemption for me”

(Canal Bank Walk)

• The opening line announces the waters of the canal has led to Kavanagh’s reconciliation with God.

• The metaphor and alliteration further enhance this line and make it more memorable.

“That I do the will of God”

“Grow with nature again as before I grew”

(Canal Bank Walk)

• Kavanagh wishes to do as whatever God ordains him to do and for God to take control.

• Kavanagh also wishes to have his love for nature — the one he used to have in his youth.