Patrick kavanagh poetry outdated but, unique poetic language had enduring appeal Flashcards
Shancoduff
Use of rhythms and diction of local speak:
“Three perishing calves” and “them Hungry hills” sound like authentic local speech.
He uses soft vowel sounds mixed with consonants to create a rich musical quality.
“these are my alps and I have climbed the Matterhorn”
The mix of sharp consonants and open vowels create a sense of grandeur and movement.
The love for your land like Kavanagh had is an outdated concept however, his language is timeless
A Christmas childhood
He uses a number of onomatopoeias, where the words echo the sound of what is described
“Somebody wistfully twisted the bellows wheel” and
“Mass going feet
Crunched the wafer ice on the pot holes”
His listing of household objects and family names capture the vision of a child.
He mentions how his “father played the melodian” the
“Lennons and the Callans” and his mother making
“The music of milking”
Makes the poem a hymn to the poet’s homeplace which makes it nostalgic and appealing
