An Irish Childhood in England: 1951: Plot

Introduction and Overview of the Poem

“Her clear vowels rise and fall like flowers in a barrel of rain water.” – This metaphor introduces the main theme of the poem: the child’s sense of displacement and her struggle to connect with her Irish identity in a foreign country. The clear vowels suggest the distinct Irish accent and its divergence from the British accent. The rise and fall of the flowers alludes to the child’s inconsistent connection and feeling of belonging towards her Irish and British roots, respectively.

“She was Irish. She had an Irish brogue.” – These lines are particularly significant because they establish the root of the child’s conflict. The use of third person indicates a detachment, a sense of otherness and a difficulty in acknowledging her Irish heritage in a setting where it is alien. The ‘Irish brogue’ firmly establishes her Irish identity.

“She heard it first in the Cotswold / Seesaws of humiliation.” – The speaker familiarises herself with her foreign surroundings through the metaphor of a seesaw. The ‘seesaws of humiliation’ symbolises the back and forth emotions she experiences, suggesting her occasional humiliation due to her Irish roots in England.

“She felt their blows land on the landscape.” – Violence is metaphorically introduced in this line to express the speaker’s personal fear and humiliation she faced as an outsider. The ‘blows’ may represent prejudice and discrimination she faced because of her Irish brogue in 1950s England.

“In the place where they told her / to love that lace-trimmed borderland / of her English home / she pressed her lips to the enigma of Ireland.” – The end of the poem hints at a self-affirmation and acceptance of the protagonist’s identity. The ‘lace-trimmed borderland’ is a metaphor for the superficial appeal and charm of England, to which the protagonist refuses to subscribe. Instead, she ‘pressed her lips to the enigma of Ireland’, thus embracing her Irish identity primarily as part of her self-acceptance.