The Contradictions of “The Stolen Child”

The Contradictions of “The Stolen Child”

By Kathryn LaBine

“The Stolen Child” is likely William Butler Yeats’ most famous poem from his early phase. It is a favorite of many scholars and everyday readers for many reasons including its contradictions.

The title of “The Stolen Child” plays off of traditional Irish folklore. Most Irish people would know the stories about fairies stealing children in the night. The title of the poem sets up the entire poem with the notion of a child that is not lost, but stolen. The emphasis on the word stolen immediately makes the reader imagine that the child is an innocent victim and that the fairy is a mischievous thief. . The majority of the poem is clearly spoken by fairy trying to convince a young boy to come with her and follow the fairies. As the boy makes his way on his incredible journey to the fairy world many contradictions are made. A youthful soul is being taken away to be with ageless beings, to live forever. As he becomes an immortal being he loses not only his life, but also his innocence and childhood. As soon as the fairies recognize that the boy is going to follow them, the entire tone of the poem becomes solemn. He is aging quickly and is learning how full of weeping his world was. Perhaps it was out of mercy and that the fairy stole the boy, rather than malevolence. This is very typical of Yeats. He often sets off a poem with a title and a few stanzas that predispose the audience to expect certain actions from particular characters, only to contradict later. “The Stolen Child” is an excellent example of this contradictory style of work.

Yeats often depicted peasants as being in touch with the Celtic essence. He assumed that they had not been tarnished by the rigid British rule. He uses the rural peasants and commercializes their lives and stories as a way to solidify a distinctly Irish culture. This is where one of the largest contradictions lies. The western coast may have been beautiful, but there is nothing mystical about it to the naked eye. Yeats makes sure to mention specific locations in western Ireland in his description of the fairy world. In “The Stolen Child” he talks about the forests of Sleuthwood, the beaches of Rosses Point, and the waterfall at Glencar. These places are part of western Ireland and have existed for a long time, yet Yeats brings new attention to them. Yeats depicts these places as peaceful, ageless, and places of wisdom and clarity. By reading Yeats’s early poetry, like “The Stolen Child” one could feel connected to the land, despite the artificial romanticism. “The Stolen Child” shows both the magical lives of where the fairies live and contrasts that with the sad and impoverished life that the child leaves. This shows that no matter how hard Yeats tries to romanticize the lives of the western peasants; even he cannot deny the contradictions of his assumptions.

Reflections on Ireland Study Abroad

When I signed up to study abroad I had little idea what I was getting myself into. As I read more about the class I realized that I was getting an opportunity to study Yates and Irish history while traveling throughout Ireland. After reviewing the syllabus and course materials I started to understand the basic structure of the trip. We would be traveling as a group to various cities in Ireland and taking a bus to get from one to another and taking several day trips to sights relatively close by. I had no idea if I would be sharing a room with another student or if I’d have a room to myself. I expected sharing bathrooms. I didn’t know if we would ever have our own kitchens where we would be expected to cook for ourselves or if we would be eating out all of the time. I was a little nervous about this. I had heard that Irish food was exclusively beef and potatoes. I’m a pescatarian so this made me anxious before we left. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that vegetable soup was nearly always the soup of the day, and that pizza and fish and chips were readily available at most of the pubs if not all of them.

I learn much better by traveling, or even having people close to me travel. It makes the history mean so much more to be real. After I have been someplace, my ears perk up when I hear anyone talking about it. Visiting places makes history click for me and talking to locals about how history is still relevant brings history to the forefront of my mind. After visiting Belgium and visiting town squares I could understand why guilds were so important and why we learned about them. When visiting historic recreations like the Genesee Country Village and Museum, I can understand how butter is made, and I can see how parts of American culture have formed. Likewise, in visiting Ireland I learned more than I could have ever learned from any lectures or textbooks. Visiting Strokestown and the famine museum helped clear my understanding of how such a tragedy could have happened. It was real to me to see how large the beds were on the boats to America. I also learned more by having professors with me. I was able to ask questions right then and there and get answers to things that didn’t quite make sense to me that I may have ignored or forgotten if I couldn’t have asked right away. I didn’t understand why the Irish plantation owners were willing to pay to send their tenants away. I learned that they were responsible for their tenants. It was their responsibility to either pay for them to work in work houses, to keep them on their land, or send them someplace to hope that they could live better elsewhere.

Visiting the famine museum made learning about the troubles in Northern Ireland easier to understand. The conflict in the north is incredibly complex and I recognize that I won’t be able to understand it ever fully, but knowing learning about the famine showed me that the hunger strikes meant more to the Irish than might have ordinarily met my eye. The Bogside tour was also a peak into the conflict that I would’ve probably never gotten had I not studied abroad in Ireland. I certainly could have visited Ireland on my own and looked at the murals in Derry, but I wouldn’t have been able to meet the artists and get a tour to learn what they meant to the community and the men that made them.

Learning about Yeats was probably one of the more challenging things for me. I knew nothing about Yeats other than what I had learned in the online lectures before the trip. He seemed like an incredibly interesting person with a complicated life story and an impressive life work to show. I know that I’m an engineering student and the math and science world has always clicked better in my brain than any English or literature so I had to take the summer school with a grain of salt and try to pick up anything I could. I learned about some of Yeats’ poetry that focused on Yeats’ fascination with age. It was very interesting. I’m still very slow at drawing my own conclusions on his work and what even some of his simplest poems mean. However, the teachers in the seminars were excellent at leading discussions. The groups were small and encouraged participation from everyone. It was wonderful to hear other people’s opinions and insights and by the end of the week’s seminars I felt like I had learned quite a bit that I might be able to listen into a relatively educated conversation about Yeats’ work.

Personally I faced a few difficulties on the trip due to health. I got a cold early on in the trip either due to change in temperature, travel or being in tight spaces with so many peers. I thought that I was going to be fine so I took a few Advil Cold and Sinus that I had packed and tried to ignore it the best I could. Later, with my weakened immune system I also got pink eye on the trip. Incredibly unfortunate, but it could have happened anywhere. However I guess it was a blessing in disguise. I had the opportunity to try to learn a bit about the Irish health care system. I tried to get some Nyquil. The pharmacists had never heard of the household American drug. They aren’t allowed to put painkillers and cold medicine into the same drug. They were wonderfully kind and even helped me fill a prescription for my pinkeye. Pharmacies in Ireland don’t accept health insurance either as far as I learned. They suggested that I take my receipt home and see if I could get a refund there. Fortunately the pharmaceuticals that I needed weren’t very expensive. It was so interesting to compare and contrast the American system and the Irish one.

Personal Interest and Background

Personal Background:

Growing up I had a reasonable exposure to gardening. My grandmother has always been a gardener. My mom learned a lot from her. They always focused on making gardens look pretty to amplify the beauty of a house or backyard to enjoy with guests. My mother also enjoys growing more tropical plants inside during the winter and taking advantage of our south facing windows that act similarly to a greenhouse all year long.

flowers pinapple

My dad has always taken a more scientific approach. He would rather grow things that he can eat. He has spent a lot of time and energy trying to garden efficiently and without chemicals. There is an entire portion of botany that works with companion planting; that is planting certain plants with plants that grow well beside them. Typical pairings often have plants that want different supplies to grow well and provide resources to each other similar to mutual symbiotic relationships in animals. He also has put in many efforts to try to protect his plants from animals that would like to eat them like deer.

I’ve learned a lot about gardening for food just by growing up with these plants around my house. My background in gardening led to my interest in this project.

 

 

[Ireland’s Formal Gardens] [Popular Gardens] [Techniques and Styles]

[Comparisons to Parks and Cemeteries]

 

 

[Works Consulted]

Works Consulted

The following is a list of works consulted in the making of this website:

 

“Companion Planting.” Encyclopedia of Entomology (2004): 589. Web. 16 Aug. 2015.

“Gardens.” Strokestown Park. Strokestown Park National Famine Museum, n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2015.

“Gardens of Ireland.” Discover Ireland. Failte Ireland, 2013. Web. 16 Aug. 2015.

“Glenveagh Castle Gardens.” Garden Home NEW. Glenveagh National Park, n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2015.

“Walled Victorian Garden – Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Gardens, Tourist Attraction Ireland, Things To Do Ireland.” Kylemore Abbey Victorian Walled Gardens Tourist Attraction Ireland Things To Do Ireland Walled Victorian Garden Comments. Kylemore Abbey, 15 July 2013. Web. 16 Aug. 2015.

 

 

[Ireland’s Formal Gardens] [Personal Interest and Background] [Popular Gardens]

[Techniques and Styles] [Comparisons to Parks and Cemeteries]

Techniques and Styles

Victorian Style:

Many Irish formal gardens were first made during the Victorian era. This style is recognizable by its geometric lines and patterns. Strictly manicured landscapes with exotic plants cover the scene with elegant places to sit and observe the beauty and symmetry that was so painstakingly made.

Some gardeners have chosen to keep the gardens in their original conditions or to at least restore them. However the healthier alternative involves change. Gardens need to be able to evolve and change over time. When a massive tree eventually grows too old and dies, a new type of plant or tree should take its place. The gardener at Glenveagh castle criticized other gardens because of their determination to keep the same appearance for decades, which is not conducive to healthy gardens. The old Victorian gardeners would have changed their landscape every so often to keep with the gardening trends of the time. It is only for tourism sake that these gardens are able to stay funded and that means catering to the tourists wishes to see ‘original’ landscaping designs.

Patterns:

Geometric patterns and lines are used to show structure in the gardens, almost taming the landscape.The use of symmetry and repetition is used to make the gardens appear larger than they actually are.

Paths:

Paths are used to clearly guide visitors on a tour of the garden. This is an old tradition from when the gardens were owned by individuals. Going to the garden was an activity used for entertaining guests. Today some of the gardens we visited are clearly marked to demonstrate what section of the garden visitors are in. On the paths there are often places to sit, rest and observe the gardens.

Observing Spaces:

Elaborate formal gardens were created to be admired. To encourage leisurely walks and romantic visits through the gardens, benches and pavilions were installed.

Walls:

The walls are a large part of walled gardens. They show the power and strength of the owners of the estate. They protect the gardens from hungry peasants, deer, rodents, and other pests that could damage the plants. They also serve as clear boundaries and are strong supports for fruit trees and vines that rely on supports to climb.

Water:

The use of water is common in Irish gardens. Streams are often used as a means of separation from one section to another and ponds are often kept as a decorative element.

Exotic Plants:

Due to Ireland’s mild climate, many plants have been brought to Ireland and thrive there. The summers in Ireland hardly ever get too hot, it rarely snows in some of the southern parts and it rains almost every day. Plants like banana trees can grow.

Greenhouses:

Greenhouses are helpful to grow more tropical plants. Many of the gardeners would pride themselves in the most exotic plants that they could acquire and sometimes this would require a greenhouse.

Flora:

Flowers cover the grounds of Irish gardens. There is a wide variety of flowers and their colors are used as decorative measures to enhance the beauty of the gardens.

Fruits and Vegetables:

Depending on the style of garden these crops could be used as ornamentation (such as Glenveagh) or they could be harvested and eaten (fresh berries from the gardens were sold for lunch at the Strokestown visitor center).

[Ireland’s Formal Gardens] [Personal Interest and Background] [Popular Gardens]

[Comparisons to Parks and Cemeteries]

 

 

[Works Consulted]

Ireland’s Formal Gardens

Welcome to my site on the formal gardens of Ireland. I am an undergraduate student at the University of Rochester studying Mechanical Engineering.I spent 23 days in Ireland with a class from SUNY Geneseo studying Ireland’s history and literature. Ireland has an incredibly fertile landscape and the way that the Irish chose to display the land is significant to the traditions of their culture.

In the pages of this site, I hope to bring light to the styles and prevalence of modern Irish gardens.

 

Site Map:

[Personal Interest and Background]

[Popular Gardens]

[Techniques and Styles]

[Comparisons to Parks and Cemeteries]

 

With any comments or concerns feel free to contact me:

Kathryn LaBine-klabine@u.rochester.edu

[Works consulted]

Popular Gardens

On my trip to Ireland I was able to visit

Strokestown: an old plantation estate that includes the National Famine Museum, a tour of a “Big House” a beautiful walled garden, a path through the woods and an extensive fruit and vegetable garden outside of the walled garden complete with several small greenhouses.

 

Kylemore Abbey: Includes a miniature Gothic Cathedral, a retired girls school that used to occupy the Abbey, elaborate walled gardens, and a nature walk.

 

 

Glenveagh Castle: a former hunting lodge located on the shore of Lough Veagh central to Glenveagh National Park. The castle is surrounded by several gardens including a large walled Victorian garden, more natural elements, a Tuscan style garden, and a Belgian Walk. We had a tour and Q&A session with the head gardener here, which was incredibly informative. He had apprentices working under him to learn his gardening technique.

 

Battle of the Boyne Museum: this museum is the site of the Battle of the Boyne. It has a mansion that was added after the battle, a tea house, walled gardens and beautiful walks through the fields.

 

Other popular Irish formal gardens include:

  • Rathmullan House
  • Salthill Garden
  • Loughcrew Historic Gardens
  • The Dower House
  • Terra Nova Gardens
  • Tullynally Castle Gardens
  • Gash Gardens

More information on these destinations can be found [here].

 

 

[Ireland’s Formal Gardens] [Personal Interest and Background] [Techniques and Styles]

[Comparisons to Parks and Cemeteries]

 

[Works Consulted]

 

Comparisons to Parks and Cemeteries

Irish Parks:

Many Irish parks have small garden elements in them. They often have flower beds or marble statues for decoration. Public parks are similar to walled in gardens that are open to the public. Both used to be exclusive to the upper class and they have paths to spend a day or picnic in.

Popular Irish Cemeteries:

Irish Cemeteries are popular. Many have databases that help families an tourists track heritage within the graves. In Ireland, we visited Glasnevin Cemetery. We went on a tour. Many of the tombs towards the front of the cemetery are well kept with fresh flowers and polished tomb stones. They are frequently visited and have lots of famous public figures and families with lots of wealth. They are decorated with flowers. This cemetery was built in the Victorian era. This means that it was built like parks. They have paths that are beautifully edged that encourage a pleasant stroll.

The Glasnevin Cemetery was interesting because it paralleled Irish formal gardens in another manner. Beyond the ornate front of the cemetery, the graves become less manicured and have fallen apart. This parallels the outside of the walls of the gardens. Beyond the walls, there is little need to maintain beauty in a garden. Visitors hardly ever go there and it would be wasteful to spend time, money and effort to do anything with this space other than to let it go on naturally. This is a clear example of how tourism shapes both the gardens and popular cemeteries of Ireland.

Holy Well in Sligo:

This religious site is cherished and sacred to many. It appears very natural but has many features that are similar in gardens. They have clear paths, flowers, elements of water, ornamental trees, benches to rest and things to admire.

[Ireland’s Formal Gardens] [History and Background]

[Popular Gardens] [Techniques and Styles]

 

 

[Works Consulted]