mo ghrá sa

An file

Scríobh Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill an dán seo

Rugadh sa bhliain 1952 i Lancashire, Sasana í tógadh i nGaletacht Chorca Dhuibhne í.

Rinne sí staidéar ar an nGaeilge agus an Bhéarla san Ollscoil agus chaith sí tamall ag múineadh.

Nuala’s published books

Is iad na leabhar filíocht atá foilsithe aici ná:

An Dealg Droighin (1981)

Féar Suaithinsneach (1984)

Pharoah’s daughter (1990)

the theme of the poem is the convention of love from the pen of a woman

“Is é téama an dáin na coinbhinsiúin an ghrá ó pheann na mban”

the poem is sattire of old love poems

The poem relates to love.

This love poem isn’t about traditional love

We are given a very important insight into love-the sort of love that lives in the real world.

Is aoir é an dán ar na seandánta grá

Baineann an dán deo le grá.

Is dán grá é seo ach ní dán traidisiúnta grá é.

Tugtar léargas rí-thábhachtach dúinn ar an ngrá-an saghas grá a mhaireann sa domhan réalaíoch

Brackets are seen in the title of the poem, and this is a trick the poet uses to create a light and humorous atmosphere for the reader.

The title is very clever

The brackets add to the humour

With the brackets, the poet is criticising the emphasis that we put on physical traits today.

Feictear lúibíní i dteideal an dáin agus is cleas é seo a úsáideann an file chun atmaisféar éadrom agus greanmhar a chruthú don léitheoir

Tá teideal an dáin an-chliste agus éifeachtach

Cuireann na lúibíní leis an ngreann

Leis na lúibíní, tá an file ag cáineadh an bhéim a chuirimid ar thréithe fisiciúla sa lá atá inniu.

the poet opens the poem abruptly and on a negative note

The poet tells us this man his totally unnattractive

Instead of placing the lover on equal footing to nature, the poet says there is no similarity with flowers 

Oscalíonn an file an dán go burb giorraisce agus ar nóta diúltach

Insíonn an file dúinn go bhfuil an bhfear mítharraingteach ar fad. 

In ionad an leannán a chur ar comhchléim le nadúr,

deir an file nach bhfuil cosúlacht ar bith le bláth. 

She continues to create the image in the second verse.

The poet images her husband dead, put in the coffin, eight feet below

She describes the flowers that will grow out of his ears.

Leanann sí ar aghaidh ag cruthú an íomha sa dara véarsa.

Samhlaíonn an file a leannán agus é marbh, curtha san uaigh, ocht dtroigh síos.

Déanann sí cur síos ar na blathanna a bheidh ag fás as a chluasa

In old love poems, the partner is usually good looking and perfect but this man isn’t

the poet is making fun of old love poems that puts emphasis on physical looks

Sna seandánta grá, bhíodh an leannán dathúil

.Níl an fear seo dathúil.

Tá an file ag magadh faoi na seandánta grá a chuir béim ar chuma an duine

The poet doesn’t care about the looks of people. She does not think thats important at all

she understands personality is more important than looks

Is cuma leis an bhfile faoi chuma an duine

ceapann sí nach bhfuil sé sin tábhachtach ar chor ar bith

Tuigeann sí go bhfuil tréithe níos tábhachtaí ná cuma

towards the end of the poem the contrast is seen very clearly

That being said, the poet praises her love's personality. He is a generous, sweet person.

Even though he is not handsome, he takes good care of her. It is clear that he is a loving person and that he has a good heart.

Tá codarsnacht le feiceáil go han-soiléir.

É sin raite, molann an file pearsantacht a grá. Is duine flaithiúil, cneasta é

Cé nach bhfuil sé dathúil, tugann sé aire maith di. Is leir gur duine grámhar é agus tá croí maith ann.

The apples stand for the necessities of life

The grapes stand for pleasures of life

Seasann na húlla do riachtanais na beatha

Seasann na caora finiúna do pléasúr an tsaoil

• The poem has a clever ending.

• She does not praise any great deed that her love did, but she praises the small, sweet things that he does for her-the reasons, maybe, that she fell in love with him in the first place.

á críoch cliste ar an dán.

Ní mholann sí aon gaisce a rinne a grá ach molann sí na rudaí beaga, cneasta a dhéanann sé- na fáthanna, b'fhéidir, gur thit sí i ngrá leis i dtosach.